My Own Secret
by ALoverofAngels
Summary: When a girl is thrust into the world of life and love, she discovers secrets about her best friend... But when her friend's secrets are her own, the plot thickens... [Ignore the carppy summary, I'll think of a better one] Written in first person POV, star
1. My Own Secret

1

I sat up and looked around the room. Streaks of sunlight were streaming in through the Venetian blinds. A steady stream of violin music was coming from my alarm clock, more urgent this time than the last four times it had rung this morning. And a young Asian man with blond hair sat in my chair at my desk. He was pale, as though he rarely saw the sun, and had both of his ears pierced.

"Finally, you wake up!"

"Yeah, good morning to you too." I grumbled. I dug back into the covers.

"Aah, get up, you!" He scrambled onto the bed, pulling off the bedsheets and the cover.

"No! Min Woo!" I giggled as he sat on top of me, tickling my sides.

"Not until you get up!"

"All right, all right, I'm up! Min Woo!" He sat back, satisfied, as I sat up.

"Good morning, sunshine." Min Woo planted a kiss on my cheek.

"Good morning, my faithful alarm clock. How'd you get in today?"

"I climbed in through the window." He grinned sheepishly.

"Isn't that what you did last week?"

"Yeah. I'm starting to run out of ideas."

"When are you going to get a girlfriend? Then you might actually pay attention to someone else besides me."

"You know you like it." He smirked.

"You're right. I do like it."

"May I use your bathroom really quickly?" I looked him up and down.

"You've never asked before."

"I know. I thought I'd be polite for once."

"It doesn't suit you, not in my eyes. I like the pompous Min Woo better." He laughed.

After I had taken a shower and gotten dressed, Min Woo took me out for breakfast. The autumn morning was a little crisp, a brisk wind tugging at our coats.

"What's with the service today?" He looked up from his meal.

"Nothing; what do you mean what's with the service today?" He looked down again and went back to eating.

"You've been acting really funny this morning… and not just asking to use my bathroom. Instead of just reminding me to get my coat, you handed it to me. And you laid out my clothes."

"I've done that before."

"Not my underclothes." He smiled hesitantly. I smiled, looking up from my cup of coffee.

"It's just… well, first, promise me you won't get mad."

"That depends on what it is."

"Jeong Mi, please."

"All right… I trust you, though why I do I have no clue." I sighed.

"I… kind of set you up…"

"What?"

"…With one of my friends."

"You did what? Min Woo, you didn't." He flinched.

"Sorry."

"Did this friend ask to be set up?"

"I know you didn't ask., but…"

"Not me, your friend… the guy? I hope."

"No, he didn't. I told him yesterday."

"How'd he react?"

"Pretty much the same way you did."

"Why'd you do it, then?"

"Well, you're not seeing anybody, and he's not seeing anybody, so…"

"You shouldn't have done that, Min Woo. I love you and all, but I can't have you going around and setting me up on blind dates, you know."

"I know, and I'm sorry. Just, please meet this guy for me. He's a good friend of mine."

"What's his name?"

"You'll meet him?"

"For you."

"Thank you, Jeong Mi! You won't regret it."

"All right, all right, just give me his name, phone number, where to meet him, anything."

"I can't tell you his name." I shot him a look. "But I can tell you where to meet him tomorrow." He said hurriedly.

"Where?"

"Just go to the restaurant that we go to the most, and ask for a reservation under Lee Min Woo."

"Fine." He grinned again, more confidently this time. "Happy now?"

"Yes." I shot him a look again, and he shrugged. "It'll be good for both of you."


	2. Chapter 2

2

I straightened my blouse as I walked into the restaurant, not nervous, but…

"Hello, I'm here for a reservation for two under the name Lee Min Woo."

"Yes, right this way, ma'am."

"Thank you." I walked behind the waiter. After a while, he stopped.

"That way, ma'am. I'll return after the other member in your party arrives to take your order."

"Thank you." I sat down. Min Woo and I sat at this table for the beautiful view. This got me thinking again. Min Woo wouldn't do something like this, so why did he? I thought back to years before, in elementary school, when we had met.

"Leave me alone!"

"Why should I?" a boy, about a head taller than I was, pushed me again. He laughed.

"Stop it!"

"Don't you know that boys should be nice to girls?" A voice behind him called out. The boy turned around.

"Lay off of her." The boy, a bit taller than I was, stuck his chin out.

"Why should you care?"

"Because she's my friend. Now lay off." The boy said, without a tremble in his voice or stance. The bully hit me again. The boy dashed at the bully, and began to punch him. The bully slowly began to back off, then turned around and ran off. The boy ran towards me, then kneeled down to look at me when he got near.

"Are you all right? Nelson can be a bully."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"I'm Min Woo."

"I'm Jeong Mi."

I was in the third grade, and he was in the fourth grade; so we had to endure the ever- teasing children: "Min Woo and Jeong Mi, sitting in a tree; K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" But it was all right; we had each other.

Before long, the waiter walked up with a young man behind him.

"I'll return to take your orders in a bit." The young man thanked the waiter and sat down, and while he did, I examined him a bit.

He was tall, with slightly broad shoulders and a dancer's lithe body and long legs, more pronounced by the suit he wore- ironed pants, a well- cut suit jacket, and a neat white shirt, with a button undone at the top. He had long hair, to the tip of his chin. It was brown, with highlights. He looked at me, and I saw his eyes. They were clear, so that his eyes practically shone with a brilliance of their own.

"Hi."

"Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Jeong Mi."

"I'm Park Jun Jin. The pleasure is all mine." He smiled, and his eyes shone even more brilliantly.

"I'm sorry, Min Woo didn't tell me much about you." I smiled back.

"It's all right. Come to think of it, I don't know much about you, either."

"Well, I'm a student in college. I play soccer, I love music, I adore books, and movies get me hooked."

"I'm also a student in college," he challenged, "And I also play soccer. I also love music, adore books, and get hooked on movies."

"I'm a sophomore now. I dance, I sing, but I'm not very sure about my skills in either."

"I'm a junior, same as Min Woo, and I also dance and sing. I'm good at dance, but different people say different things about my singing." I laughed.

"As you might notice, my sense of humor is easily enticed, and humor is really my Achilles' heel. That, and sappy, romantic stuff. That's my secret."

"I'm not very romantic. Not on purpose, at least." I raised my eyebrow. "My secret is that I like smart girls that are also understanding, and have their roots in the old traditions." He stared into my eyes.

"Well, unfortunately, I'm smart… and I was brought up the old- fashioned way. But I'm not very understanding, and I'm very arrogant." I stared right back.

"I could make an exception." He smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"May I take your order?" the waiter had come back.

"Sorry. Could you just give us another moment or two? Thank you." He turned to me. "We should probably order now."

"Yeah," I smiled. "We should." I ordered without glancing at the menu.

"I'll take the fettuccini alfredo with chicken."

"And you, sir?" Jun Jin was patiently waiting. He also ordered without looking at the menu.

"I'll take spaghetti with meatballs."

"And to drink?"

"I'll take iced tea." I said.

"For me as well." The waiter bowed and left.

We sat in silence for a while, then Jun Jin spoke up.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this…" I looked up. "But my real name isn't Jun Jin at all."

"Then what is it?" I smiled.

"It's… Park Choong Jae."

"You look like a Choong Jae." This brought a laugh, genuine and light. "Why'd you change it?"

"I guess… I just liked the sound of Jun Jin better." It was my turn to laugh.

"Well, I'll call you whatever you want."

"I don't know… it's just that I've spent so much time being Jun Jin that I've forgotten how to be Choong Jae." He smiled, his eyes not seeing anything. Then he suddenly looked up again, smiling.

"You know, I know more about you than I let you think, and you know a little about me, too."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, the rest of the group always called you 'Min Woo's friend' or 'that girl'; we didn't know your name."

"How'd you know about me, anyways?"

"We always saw you with Min Woo. Me and the other boys, you see." he explained. "We always thought you were Min Woo's girlfriend."

"Is that what he told you?"

"No. He was actually pretty secretive about you. I mean, he didn't explain too much in detail about your relationship. That's why we'd assumed you were Min Woo's girlfriend, because he never had any girls around him, and he refused to tell us about you."

"No, Min Woo and I grew up together. We've been really close ever since we were very young."

"Like boyfriend- girlfriend close?"

"No, not exactly… It's just… ever since we met, he's been there for me whenever I turned around. I've never actually had a boyfriend." I confessed.

"So you never did anything? Like go out on a date together, kiss, or, you know…" he hesitated. "Sleep together?" He paused, then said, "Never mind. I don't mean to put you on the spot like that. It was too personal, anyways."

"It's fine. There are some things I'd like to clear up anyways. Min Woo and I aren't in a relationship. I mean, we've been out to eat together or watch a movie or whatever. We usually sleep over at each others' houses. We practically spend the whole day together."

"What else?" He seemed genuinely interested, and leaned forward.

"We've kissed, but it was never anything more- only once or twice on the lips, and we've known each other for… ten years." I paused. "We've slept together, but we… haven't slept together. You know what I mean?"

"I'm not quite sure."

"I mean, we've slept in the same bed and all, but not… slept together."

"Ahh. I see." He smiled and sat back in his chair. "You guys must be really close."

"But we're not in a relationship like that. If we were, I wouldn't be here now." He laughed. "Now, it's your turn." I said.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

"One. We met in high school, and she was the daughter of my parents' friends. We had met through our parents, and her parents practically thought of me as a son. She was all right. She was pretty, but not the brightest bulb in the box. She devoted herself to me, always over at my house, buying me stuff, you know…" He trailed off. "But she was really too… hormone driven. Do you know what I mean?"

"Ah. Well, did you…?"

"No. I never have." He said shortly. Anyways, I cut myself off from her after that, and when her parents found out what I had done… well, let's just say that it wasn't pretty. I haven't seen her since nor made any effort to see her. Well, I still have another question to ask you, if it's not too personal."

"What is it?"

"Well, you said that you've never had a boyfriend; what's the closest you've ever gotten to one?"

"There was a an acquaintance but I didn't really know him. I mean, he was in tae kwon do with me," I said, and Jun Jin's eyebrows went up. "But he was a lower belt than me. Then my parents and I went to buy some rice cakes for something when I was in the ninth grade, and when we walked into the store, it turns out that his parents owned it. His parents wanted to set me up on an arranged date with him. I went ahead and went out on a couple of dates just to please his parents; they had always been really good to me. My parents soon stopped me anyways. 'The daughter of a dentist does not belong with the son of a rice cake seller. Rice cake sticks to teeth and makes it messy to treat,' my father said." Jun Jin laughed at the last bit.

"Well, I'm glad it didn't work out with you and him." He paused. "Say, do you want to go to a movie after this?"

"Sure. But I'm paying." I said.

"Then I'm paying for dinner." The food came then. "Let's eat."

As we were eating, we talked a little about our schools (his school and mine were horrid rivals) and our courses of study.

"Let me see your hands," I said. He held out his hand. I held it in mine. His hands were a bit on the small side for his size, with long fingers, but they were strong and full of delicate power.

"Here… it says here that you have talent for things you do with your hands, and that you'll be successful at it." I looked up. He was staring at me amusedly. "I do a little palm reading," I explained.

"What else does it say?"

"It also says that there will be times when it will be hard for you to maintain your focus, but if you do, then you'll become great."

After we ate, Jun Jin did pay for dinner, and we went out to the parking lot.

"Did you bring your car?" he asked.

"No, actually, Min Woo drove me."

"Good, we can go in my car." We got into his car, a silver Audi, and he drove smoothly out of the parking lot. He turned to me. "You don't mind if I turn on some music, do you?"

"No, go ahead."

"What sort of music do you enjoy?"

"It isn't my car, so just listen to whatever music you enjoy. Plus, this way, I can get to know about you a little more, too." He turned on a soft ballad.

"I love this song," he said.

I smiled. "So do I."

We rode the rest of the way in silence. When we got to the theater, he bought the tickets and snacks before I could say anything. We watched a thriller, where I found his hand on mine. I looked up at him, and he pretended not to notice.

After the movies, we drove down to the beach to watch the sunset. As we stood there watching the beauty of the sun sink into the ocean to reveal a different kind of beauty, he turned to me.

"Jeong Mi, I want you to tell me the truth."

"What is it, Jun Jin?"

"I want you to tell me how you feel about me. I mean…" he faltered. "I know it's only the first date, and it's really too early to know anything, but I think I really like you. And it would be great if we could do this again sometime, but I'd first like to know what you think of me. If you feel the same way."

"Jun Jin…" I paused.

"If you didn't feel anything towards me today, I understand."

"Jun Jin," I looked up into his eyes. "I like you too, and I think it would be great if we could do this again." His face broke out into a huge smile.

We drove to my house, where I invited him in for a cup of tea.

"No, it's all right. I have to be going, but thank you." he said.

"Then get home safely, okay?"

"Would it be all right if I asked for your number?"

"Sure," I said after a moment's hesitation. I gave him my number, and he gave me his- "I don't want to keep you waiting if something happens to me, but I'll probably call. Unless I'm dead. Which won't happen in the next couple of hours." He grinned, then paused. "Another question."

"Yeah?"

"Can I give you a hug, or is it too soon?"

"Sure." He embraced me, putting his arms around my waist. I put my arms around his neck, and when he pulled away, he gave me a smile and left without a word.

I watched him drive off into the darkness, and walked into my house. Min Woo sat on the couch, waiting for me.

"I take it the date went well?"

"Yeah, actually, it did. Jun Jin's really nice."

"Oh, really?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I gave him my number." He stood up slowly and smiled, pulling close to me and looking deeply into my eyes.

"Well, I guess you're happy now that I set you guys up, huh?" I stared back into his eyes, then put my hand on his cheek. I kissed him on his other cheek, then turned away. "All right, I'll go home now. I'll leave you to your many contemplations about Jun Jin." I started to protest, but he shushed me, his finger on my lips. "Now, don't be lazy. You have to find out more about Jun Jin on your own." He picked up his coat, his keys, and left.

I spent the next four days alone, for Min Woo did not come over. I spent the time to study a bit, but my mind continued to wander back to Jun Jin every now and again. I woke up to a text message every morning from him, with a different quote about various things, always ending with a warm, "Good morning, Jeong Mi.". He had sent flowers to my house every evening after our date.

On the fifth day, Min Woo was in my room when I woke up.

"Good morning, sunshine."

"How'd you get in today?"

"Opened the door." He held up a key.

"That's amazing. You still have that old spare, even after I gave it to you… what, two years ago?" He laughed.

He had made me breakfast, and he sat across from me as I ate, staring at me. I pretended not to notice his stares. At length, I couldn't take it anymore, and steadily looked up. "What is it?"

"Nothing. It's just… You are happy that I set you up with Jun Jin, right? I mean, I thought you guys would get along, but if he isn't, I can go kick him somewhere that will be really painful for him." I giggled.

"No, Jun Jin's great. Thank you. I get to buy you lunch today. Where do you want to go?"

"Let's go to our favorite restaurant, then take a trip to the park. But let's make it dinner."

"All right." He went home then, telling me that "he had to get cleaned up."

He picked me up at my house, and I bought him dinner. I ordered the fettuccini alfredo again, my thoughts wandering back to Jun Jin. We then went for a light stroll in the park in the moonlight. By the time we got home, it was late, and he finally sat down with me.

"Tell me about your date." So I explained some things, leaving out others, to punish him for not asking me sooner. He still seemed to know what happened, though- he smiled every time I left something out. At length, I got up, and told him that I needed to wash up and get to bed. I had stayed up studying the night before and was utterly exhausted. I got up, and told him, "You can show yourself out, right?" I turned towards my bedroom.

"Jeong Mi…" I turned around. He kissed me on my lips, as he had done several times before, but this time was different. It felt different. I can't explain now, nor could I then, but… I pulled away gently. He let me go and stared at me again, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Can I sleep over tonight?"

"Sure." I said, after a moment's hesitation.

"I'm going to go take a shower."

"You know the way."

After we had both taken a shower, we sat together on my bed, watching a movie. He had his arm around my shoulder.

"Jeong Mi?"

"Yeah, Min Woo? Something wrong?"

"No, it's just… you know how we've been friends forever?"

"Yeah?" I stared into his eyes, steady and unwavering.

"I don't ever want that to end."

I smiled. "Me neither, Min Woo."

We fell asleep with the movie still on, lying under the covers with his arm still around my shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

3

The next morning, I awoke to find the two of us the way we had fallen asleep- Min Woo with his arm around me, and me cuddled into his arms. He was still asleep. I examined him more carefully than I had ever done. He was good looking, and with his eyes closed, he looked like a seraph with his blond hair spilling gently over his eyes. He had a small cut over his eye, abut other than that, there were few blemishes at all on his face. My eyes traveled down from his face to his body. He looked powerful, even in his sleep. His arms still held me tightly, and his strong hands lingered on my back. My gaze wandered back to his face. He said without opening his eyes, "Your eyes are so powerful, they tickle."

"Morning, Min Woo."

"Morning, love." He kissed me on my nose.

"Did I wake you up?"

"No, don't worry." I giggled. "You know what, even if we're both awake, let's stay like this for a while." he said, without opening his eyes. He whispered into my ear, "I love it when we're like this." For some reason, I suddenly felt angry.

"Then if you go and find a girlfriend for yourself, you could do this and more with her." I sat up.

Min Woo lay there for a moment, confused. He slowly sat up, and said, "Jeong Mi, is there something wrong?"

"Yes, there's something wrong! It's you! You're always hanging around my house, kissing me and hugging me, and we even sleep in the same bed… and yet you set me up with another guy, and you don't do anything about us. And it's not like I'm your girlfriend, either! Am I?"

"Jeong Mi, I…"

"I feel like I'm nothing but your… concubine!" I found tears spilling down my face. He hugged me close, and I felt his tears on my cheek and neck as well.

"Jeong Mi…"

"It's all right. I'm sorry. I don't know why I said it."

"It's because it's true."

"No, Min Woo, I…"

"Shh…" He put his finger on my lips. "I'm sorry." He took a step back and smiled at me. "I'll be going now, then."

I held his hand. "Please don't go. Min Woo, please." He stared at me with soft eyes.

"Jeong Mi, I set you up with Jun Jin because I knew you two would get along. He's a good person. It was for you, Jeong Mi." He embraced me again.

"Min Woo, I don't ever want you to leave me, that's all. We're best friends. Even just last night, we slept in the same bed."

"Then promise me just one thing."

"Anything."

"Promise me that even when you and Jun Jin get closer, it won't create a rift between you and me. Us."

"I promise."

He stepped back again, and this time, a smile shone through his tears. "I have an idea. About all of the group just go and hang out, watch a movie or something today?"

"That would be awesome! I've been dying to meet all your friends."

"We'll call them now and tell them all to come over here and we'll spend the whole day together. We can show them our marvelous cooking skills."

"Excellent!" My tears were still slow to dry.

"I'll call them now, then." Min Woo pecked me on the cheek, then went off to call the group.

"You go do that."

While he called, I took out some meat, and put it in the microwave to defrost a little. Then, I put the meat into a large bowl with various ingredients for flavoring. The guys, I hoped, would enjoy dinner.

After he had called his friends over, Min Woo and I started out on breakfast for everybody- I could make omelets, and Min Woo would take care of the sausages, hash browns, and toast. We didn't talk much while we cooked, but I often looked up to find him smiling at me. We finished the steaming breakfast as Min Woo's friends rang the doorbell.

"Hey, Min Woo, open up!"

"Yeah, you said you'd feed us!"

"Come on, I can smell the eggs!" He laughed, and I immediately broke out into giggles. Would his friends enjoy the sight of Min Woo in an apron?

"Those guys," Min Woo said, and walked toward the door to open it. I stopped him in mid- step, telling him that I would go.

"Welcome to my home!" I bowed as they entered the house.

"Hi!"

"Good morning!"

"Nice to see you!"

"Hey!"

"Jeong Mi!" Jun Jin stood at the door, a big smile on his face. "I believed you when you told me you liked me, but you're already cooking me breakfast!"

I laughed and welcomed him in, then whispered in Min Woo's ear.

"Min Woo, did you call Jun Jin here on purpose?"

"What do you mean? He's one of the group!" The guys then came over to eat. Suddenly, one of them, young- looking despite his age, suddenly said, "Hey, I think we're being rude to the lady! We didn't even introduce ourselves, and we start to ravage her delicious food!" The whole table nodded in agreement.

"I'm Shin Hye Sung. Nice to meet you!" The one who had suddenly interjected said. He looked very young, and almost feminine. He had round eyes that pierced through you.

"I'm Lee Sun Ho. Call me Andy. Jun Jin here had a lot of good things to say about you on the way here this morning." The next one said. He had high cheekbones, and deep eyes. He smiled, a gesture that looked like few and far between, except among friends.

"I'm Mun Jung Hyuk. But call me Eric. I can see why Jun Jin spoke of you." He had shortest hair at the table He was slightly tanned, and had a good natured smile with a robust voice.

"The name's Kim Dong Wan. Min Woo has himself quite a friend and Jun Jin… is very lucky to be seeing someone like you. I can tell by your cooking skills!" He smiled. He had piercing eyes due to the grayish contact lenses he wore. He had slightly long hair that remained undyed, and overall, he had a fierce look, even when he smiled.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't take all the credit. Min Woo here has formidable cooking skills." I laughed.

"Yeah, we could tell by the apron," Dong Wan said. "Any girl- or man, for that matter- who can make our Min Woo don an apron must be pretty powerful." The table roared with laughter.

"Well, if anytime you guys feel the need to eat, come over to my house and just walk in. As long as you don't get me while I'm in the shower, I'll probably whip up something for you."

"Or unless she's sleeping." Min Woo added, with a smirk on his face. I stood up.

"So, anybody want seconds?" I was suddenly faced with an onslaught of plates.

After they finished eating, Andy spoke up. "I think that we should take care of the plates."

"Okay, Andy," Eric said. "Then, since you proposed the idea, you can do them."

"No, the person who ate the most should do them." Dong Wan interjected.

"That would still be Andy," Hye Sung laughed.

"But Min Woo ate more than me!"

"But he helped cook!" Hye Sung said.

"Come on, Andy, on with the apron!" Dong Wan encouraged. Eric handed him the apron, and Andy took it grudgingly, but with a smile.

"Only because the food was so good."

"Well, after this, you really are all very welcome at my house," I said. "Feel free to come in anytime."

After Andy had scrubbed the plates clean, we divvied up the people amongst the cars. Jun Jin and Hye Sung had brought their cars, and Min Woo had his.

"I'll take Jeong Mi," Jun Jin volunteered. The others all laughed at his eagerness.

"How come he gets the girl?"

"Lay off of him, man. He does have the right."

"All right."

"So I'll take Andy and Eric, and Min Woo can drive with Dong Wan." Hye Sung offered.

"Works for me." They all murmured consent.

We each went to our respective cars. I got into Jun Jin's Audi again.

"Well, the meal was delicious." Jun Jin smiled.

"Wait until dinner. Besides, it was the least I could do after the flowers and text messages you sent me." I laughed.

"Are you all right, Jeong Mi?" Jun Jin suddenly turned toward me as he drove.

"Yeah, I'm all right. Why?"

"Because… when we came in, you looked a little like you had been crying. Or maybe I'm wrong." I simply smiled. "Did you and Min Woo fight or something?"

"No, nothing happened." Jun Jin looked at me and did not press any further.

When we got to the theater, Jun Jin sat next to me, and Min Woo on my opposite side. Hye Sung between Min Woo and Eric, and Dong Wan and Andy next to them. The movie was an action movie, which we had all opted for. Jun Jin paid for my ticket again, but I bought him snacks; he smiled and leaned back as we sat down.

He held my hand again, and I didn't refuse. But Min Woo kept looking at us, and smiled.

After the movie, we all went to the arcade. Our group stood out like a sore thumb, a group of six quite good looking young men and a girl, but none of them seemed to notice. Jun Jin pulled me over to a side by side driving game, and the rest followed. He sat me down.

"Oh, Jun Jin, I'm no good at any of these types of games."

"It's all right. Come on!"

We played the game, and he lost to me. "You lost to me on purpose, didn't you, Jun Jin?"

"No, you're really very good." He said cheerily. "You even heard all the guys cheering for you, didn't you?"

"You're mocking me." I teased.

"No." He shook his head earnestly.

We then watched Dong Wan, Jun Jin, and Min Woo go up against each other at DDR, two at a time. Dong Wan was defeated by Jun Jin, Min Woo defeated Jun Jin, and Dong Wan was clobbered by Min Woo. Dong Wan scratched his head.

"Min Woo, how are you so good at this, did you not eat or sleep when it first came out?" he teased.

Next, we watched Andy teach Eric and Hye Sung a lesson in the art of video game fighting. Neither of them lasted for long against him.

"If only he fought that well in real life!" Hye Sung cried, then ran as Andy aimed a well- deserved slap to the head.

"Why don't we have Jeong Mi go up against him? She's pretty good." Min Woo ventured. They all agreed and pushed me forward. Andy looked at me questioningly, then shrugged.

He lasted ten minutes against me.

We went to a small restaurant to eat lunch. All of them were perfect gentlemen, with table manners that would make a professor of culture weep. But as soon as we steeped outside, they took to taking turns talking to me and playing around with the rest of the group. First to approach me was Hye Sung.

"Jeong Mi."

"Hye Sung!"

"Wow, I actually got to you before Jun Jin did." I laughed. "I know I've said this before, but I can really see why Jun Jin likes you this much."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The boy's brightened up a lot since you came into his life… last week." He laughed, his eyes twinkling.

"Well, thank you. But I hope you don't just see me as the girl going out with Jun Jin, in the future, and see me more as your little sister and as part of the group. It would honor me."

"Well!" Hye Sung looked pleased.

"So I'll treat you like an older brother to me, as well!"

Eric came next.

"I hope we're not boring you too much, or excluding you."

"No, thank you. I feel very much at home around all of you."

He laughed. "Most girls don't."

"Well, I hope you will see me more than just a girl and take me in as your little sister. The group's, I mean."

"Oh, but of course!"

Andy caught up to me.

"It was very nice getting to know you, aside from what Jun Jin said and the little Min Woo says about you."

"Thank you very much. It was wonderful getting to know you, too. But I hope you and I can get to know each other better… by you and the group's treating me like a younger sister, instead of just 'that girl'."

"That's what we were thinking anyways." he laughed.

Dong Wan casually walked up to me.

"So, little sister, enjoying the outing so far?"

"Of course, thank you so much, older brother!" This caused him to smile.

"Well, we're not done yet!"

Min Woo came up next.

"Well, how is everybody?"

"Good. Great. I want them to all treat me like a younger sibling or a friend, instead of 'Min Woo's friend' or 'that girl Jun Jin is seeing'." He nodded.

"They've all started to see you as their little sister, anyways, I think. Especially after you kicked Andy's behind in that game." he beamed.

"Thank you, Min Woo. For doing all this."

"He shrugged. "No problem. I'm having fun, myself."

Jun Jin finally walked up last.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I hope you're having fun. I know this doesn't count as an official date, but…"

"It's all right. Actually…" I turned and faced him. "This date is going very well."

He smiled, and put his arm around my shoulder.

"Jun Jin…" I pulled away a little.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's just that, I don't want things to move too fast. I mean, I really like you. But, like I've already told you, I've never had a boyfriend before."

"It's all right." He backed away. "May I hold your hand, though?"

"Of course." I slipped my hand into his, and he began to hum. I laughed.

"Do you like me that much, Jun Jin?"

"Yes, I do. I don't know, it's been almost a week since we really met, but I just… have this feeling about you, you know? Like that feeling you get when you're looking at the girl you like in high school, and she's so perfect. She's smart, you can tell by not just her grades, but her eyes, and the way she talks. She's funny, and values a good sense of humor. She's beautiful. Not just her face or her body, but her heart. And her eyes… they're like fire. And when you meet those eyes of hers," he looked down at me, staring into my eyes as I stood, blushing. "You want it to work out well with her more badly than anything you've ever wanted in the world."

I took his hand, and gently put it around my shoulder. His eyes brightened, and he smiled down at me. "Thank you." he whispered.

Hye Sung and Dong Wan hollered from ahead. "Hey, guys! Let's stop for ice cream!" Jun Jin shook his head.

"Those guys would stop in the middle of the winter for ice cream."

"Don't they ever get cold?"

"They'd eat ice cream all bundled up in their winter coats and sitting right in front of the heater." He laughed.

We stopped at a corner café. "I hope you guys were kidding about the ice cream. I could go for a cup of coffee or tea, though." Min Woo said.

"Actually, I think they were. It's a little cold. Let's get a cup of hot cocoa or something!" Andy laughed.

We ordered seven cups of hot chocolate, and sipped it all quietly, sitting huddled together. When we were finished drinking, we took off again, and this time, walked as a group. Suddenly, Andy's stomach growled loudly. "Anybody else hungry?" he said.

The entire group broke out laughing, and Eric complained, "Andy, you ate the most for breakfast, too!" Then his stomach growled.

"Wow. Getting beaten that badly at video games must really take a lot out of you." Dong Wan teased. We all laughed.

"Let's go back to my house, and I'll make you guys dinner," I suggested. There were cheers of assent.

On the way home, I rode alone with Jun Jin again, and we talked a bit about what we wanted in our friends, and our lifelong partners.

"I want someone that's smart, but old fashioned enough to still live with the old customs, like wearing hanbok and you know, all that chauvinistic 'serving the male' stuff, like I told you. Sorry." He grinned sheepishly, then continued. "She has to be funny, athletic a little…" I cut him off.

"Looks like you expect a lot from a girl." He smiled. "And you think that I meet all your requirements?" He looked at me.

"And you think that you don't?" It was my turn to smile. "You're intelligent, you're smart, you're beautiful, funny, know about the traditions, do tae kwon do… what's not to like?" He reached over and held my hand. "Don't worry. I think you're great. Now, it's your turn."

"Me? I like a guy who is smart and strong- smarter and stronger than me- and isn't afraid of being sensitive or protective. I don't mind a bit of jealousy, either." I laughed. "He needs to be athletic, and needs to be able to love me while pleasing my parents."

"Even the first part leaves me out," Jun Jin mock pouted.

"Don't say that. You're one of the most intelligent people I've met, Jun Jin. And you seem to meet most of the requirements so far."

"What don't I seem to meet yet?"

"The pleasing my parents part. After all, you haven't met my parents yet. And also… the loving me part." I said quietly.

"Don't worry about that. It's hard not to love a girl like you." I blushed.

"Thank you, Jun Jin. Really."

"No problem." He turned to me. "By the way, what are we having for dinner?" I smiled.

When we got home, Min Woo and Dong Wan were already there before us. Andy, Eric, and Hye Sung had apparently gotten lost and would take another couple of minutes. Jun Jin helped me take off my coat, and I took off my scarf, heading towards the kitchen.

"How does kal-bi sound to you guys?"

"Sure." Min Woo and Jun Jin replied simultaneously. They laughed.

"I'd better call the guys to tell them that they'd better get home and help; at least set the table." Min Woo said, then left. Jun Jin washed his hands in the bathroom, then walked over to me.

"Can I help with anything?" he asked, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Sure. Could you get the meat out? It's in the refrigerator, in a bowl with the flavoring."

"You already had this made?" he stared in surprise.

"Yeah. As soon as I heard you guys were coming over, I made this before I made breakfast. It didn't take long." He smiled. "Could you do me a favor? Could you make the rice in the pressure cooker? Set it to quick cook."

"All right." He donned an apron and washed the rice in the steel bowl, then put it in the cooker. "It'll take thirty minutes."

"Do you cook often?" I asked.

"I live alone right now, so yeah. But I'm not very good." He replied.

Min Woo came back into the room and smiled. "Anything I can help with?"

"Sure. Just get out the side dishes the guys might like."

Hye Sung, Andy, and Eric burst through the door.

"This idiot got lost on the way here," Eric complained.

"Well, Eric, if we had taken left like Hye Sung said instead of right, like you said, we would have been here earlier." Eric fell silent, then broke into a grin as he smelled the cooking rice.

"Well, I'm sorry. But we're here now, and I can smell the rice cooking."

"Hey guys, you're late too late to help with dinner," Min Woo said as he walked towards them, "But you guys can graciously do the dishes after dinner, eh?" He turned and winked toward us. I stifled a giggle.

"All right," Hye Sung grumbled good-naturedly.

So Hye Sung, Andy, and Eric were allowed to sit on the couch, watching television without snacks, for fear it would "ruin your appetite, when Jeong Mi is making a delicious meal for us", as Dong Wan put it as he winked at me.

Soon, the beeps from the rice cooker emanated as we took the rice, the side dishes, plates, and utensils outside to eat. Hye Sung carried the majority of the things outside, then grinned sheepishly at me and shrugged. I smiled back, and announced, "Hye Sung doesn't have to help with the dishes, you guys."

"Why?" Andy and Eric echoed at once as they stood up.

"Because Jeong Mi's nice." Hye Sung teased.

"Nice? Jeong Mi? Hye Sung, she could kick your butt if you don't watch out." Min Woo called.

"What? No offense or anything, Jeong Mi, but I don't think you can kick my butt."

"Oh, yeah? She's a black belt, just like you, Hye Sung." Jun Jin laughed. Hye Sung stared at me in surprise with his mouth hanging open. I gently reached over and closed his mouth. Jun Jin came up behind me, put his hands on my shoulders, and grinned.

"I'm going out with the best girl. She's smart, funny, and strong." He laughed. "Come on, Jeong Mi. Let's go eat." Jun Jin took me by the hand and led me out to my backyard, where he and Min Woo had already set up the grille. Dong Wan and Min Woo sat at the table, already putting the marinated meat onto the grille, and the aroma of cooking meat brought Eric and Andy out, holding their stomachs. The rest of the group began to laugh, and when Min Woo loaded the first plate with steaming rice and several pieces of meat, their eyes remained glued to the plate. But Min Woo handed it off to me, saying, "She did cook all this, guys." I tried to refuse, but he pressed it into my hands, saying, "We do have to be polite sometimes, right?" This made me laugh. "All right, now, you sit here," he pointed at Hye Sung, "And you sit next to him," he gestured to Andy, "And Eric and Hye Sung, you sit here. Jeong Mi can sit here, and Jun Jin and Dong Wan will sit on either side of her. And I'll sit next to Hye Sung. So Jun Jin, you're sitting next to Eric."

"What, you don't trust us enough to choose our own seats?" Dong Wan joked.

"No, I'm afraid you'll all fight for the spots next to me." Min Woo said somberly as he ladled rice onto the plates. We all broke out into fits of laughter as Hye Sung punched him lightly in the arm.

Soon, there was a plate of steaming food in front of everyone, and they all dug in happily.

"Werdoo 'erndoo ookike is?" Eric said, with his mouth full.

"Where'd you learn to cook like this?" Dong Wan translated, grinning.

"From my mother. But I've a long way to go to catch up to her." I said, blushing.

"Then your mother must be one helluva cook." Eric said, swallowing this time.

Jun Jin stared at me. "Is there anything you can't do?"

I began to laugh, and Jun Jin smiled at me. I lowered my eyes, blushing furiously but unable to stop the smile from spreading on my guilty face. He was flirting with me so noticeably! Andy punched him in the arm.

"Wa'oo oo'at ohr?" He swallowed. "Look how she's blushing!"

"What, a guy can't give a compliment without getting beaten up nowadays? Besides, if you want to talk about manners, try talking without food stuffed in your face for once." Jun Jin laughed. Andy broke out laughing as well as Hye Sung and Eric tittered nearby.

After dinner, Andy and Eric did the dishes, as promised. While they did so, the rest took turns showing off their dance moves as they competed against each other, arguing that each of them could do better than Min Woo. Dong Wan gave up first. His body had excellent fluidity, but he couldn't keep up with Min Woo's strength in his dance form. Hye Sung gave up next.

"I never was much of a dancer. I was always a better singer."

"Don't worry, Hye Sung. You were actually really good." I said earnestly. Hye Sung shrugged it off modestly, but looked pleased.

Jun Jin was the last to give up, with Andy and Eric remaining in the audience, insisting that it was too late in the competition to start. Jun Jin was a really good dancer, but he finally gave up, saying, "I can't keep up if Min Woo break dances like that. I can't break." He whispered into my ear.

We enjoyed a nice cup of tea afterwards, then each member of the group began to take off.

"It was nice meeting you, little sister. I hope you'll come with us more often."

"If you had fun today, wait until next time!"

"Can we come over for lunch tomorrow?"

"Tell Jun Jin to bring you with him more often!"

Jun Jin and Min Woo, however, stayed behind. They remained in the living room and talked about various things, from their schools to their rooms. I engaged in the conversation for awhile, then went back into the kitchen to make some more tea. As I stood there, making the tea, the voices in the living room gradually lost their volume. There was something odd. But I could hear their conversation, even in its muted tones.

"So, Jun Jin, you really like Jeong Mi, huh?"

"Yeah, I do. I don't really even know her that well, but there's just this quality about her that I love. And I feel that I can fully trust her. I think I'm falling for her completely."

"What is it about her that you like?"

"Well, she seems really intelligent and warm- hearted. She's got a sense of humor, too. And she seems to have really strong, firm, morals. It's like God finally answered my prayers through you and sent me an angel to love, like I've been praying for."

"You know she's Buddhist, right?"

"Really? I didn't know that." He hesitated. "But it won't make a difference." He paused. "But what about you? When are you going to find yourself a girlfriend? Or hasn't the right girl come along yet?"

"No, there's actually a girl I've liked for some time. It's just that she doesn't like me in the same way."

"Someone I know?"

"Maybe. But I think I've liked her for as long as I've known her. I think… about half the fights I've gotten into… fistfights, I mean- have been about her. Whether it was people badgering her or they were badmouthing her or stuff. And she's always helped me with the injuries I got."

"And she doesn't know any of this?"

"None. And the worst part is, she's fallen for a good guy, and one that I know will take good care of her. So I can't do anything about it, either. If he was terrible, it would be a different story, but…"

"I know what you mean."

"So I can't tell her. I mean, it's better for her to fall for this guy than get with me, right? Always getting into fights and stuff… and it's not like I can do much or anything. And it's not like I could do much about it anyways. I don't want to do anything to spoil our friendship. So… it was for her. Her own good." He finished quietly.

"No, no." I whispered to myself, fiercely shaking my head. It couldn't be… but there were some parts that were unmistakable. He had always been getting into fights and coming out badly (although his opponents always turned out worse) and when I applied the medication, washed his wounds, or bandaged them, I always asked, "So what did you fight about today? A bigger kid cutting in front of a first grader in the lunch line?" He would always shrug and laugh it off, telling me it was nothing. I could hear our voices over the years even now…

He had even used the same words he had earlier to me. "He's a good person…", "I did it for you, Jeong Mi…", and "Promise me that even when you and Jun Jin get closer, it won't create a rift between you and me. Us." echoed in my mind. I felt as though I couldn't breathe. He had to be kidding. Or maybe he was just referencing another girl. But that couldn't be, either- I had always helped him with his wounds, and he had never been too close to many girls anyway… And the other girls he knew couldn't bandage a dummy to save their life. He always spoke lowly of them. I had an earsplitting headache suddenly. I slowly carried the tea out on trays, my hands shaking, and fought to act normally. They stopped speaking as soon as I had walked in, and Jun Jin said lightheartedly, "So did you guys hear about that new joint organization our schools are forming?"

After Jun Jin finished the tea and we had finished the conversation, he yawned in spite of himself, then blushed. "I'm sorry. It's late, and I've kept you guys up."

"No, it's all right. It is one o' clock. You need to get some sleep!" I yawned.

"No, but you're going to fall asleep driving home." Min Woo said thoughtfully. "Why don't you sleep over tonight and you and I'll share my room here. You can borrow one of my really big pajamas. I never wear them. One of those idiot girls got that for me as a present on Christmas, but it was too big for me. The pants come up to here." He gestured to his chest. "They'll fit you."

"S-s-sure. Thank you very much." Jun Jin yawned again. "Good night. Sweet dreams." He hugged me quickly, then turned towards the room Min Woo gestured to. Min Woo held back for a second, and he said quietly, "Be good to Jun Jin. He really likes you. Just… I hope you won't forget about our promise. But as my friend, and with Jun Jin as my friend as well, nothing would make me happier than seeing the two of you together, happy. Good night." He touched my hand briefly.

"Good night." I hollowly replied. His words continued to echo through my head: _"There's actually a girl I've liked for some time. It's just that she doesn't like me in the same way."_…But…_ "Nothing would make me happier than seeing the two of you together, happy." _I wandered back to my room, my feet taking me to my destination as I fell back onto my bed. It took me forever to fall asleep, and when I did, I was haunted by a soundless dream.

The next morning, I woke up to find Jun Jin sitting on the bed next to me.

"Good morning!" He said brightly.

"Good morning," I smiled. I sat up, and he hugged me close. I could feel his soft breath on my cheek as he whispered softly into my ear, "Let's stay for another moment or two like this." I felt a guilty surge of pleasure, and my heart began to beat faster, and I felt as though something fluttered through me. Then I thought of Min Woo. We stayed together for another moment like this, and he let me go. He kissed me on the cheek and stood up abruptly, then turned around and smiled. He then left the room, leaving me tracing the spot on my red, burning cheek gently with my fingers in awe.

I quickly washed and dressed, and went to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast. Min Woo, however, with Jun Jin's help, had already prepared breakfast, and both of them stood ready at the entryway to the kitchen with their aprons still on, waiting for me. Jun Jin pulled out my chair, and we sat down. They had prepared a breakfast to make my mother grovel. As I dug in hungrily, they both smiled to each other.

"Min Woo, I knew you were a better cook than me, but Jun Jin can cook, too! You've set me up with quite a guy." I said, and waited to see his reaction. A quick shadow passed over his face, unnoticeable, then faded as quickly as it had appeared. He grinned.

"Yeah. Jun Jin is really good." Min Woo's eyebrow went up.

"Don't tell me you two caused trouble already!"

"No, Min Woo! Not like that!" I blushed, and looked up to find Jun Jin blushing even harder than I was with a slight smile playing on his face, while Min Woo stood, shaking in silent laughter.

"I didn't know that you liked her that much, Jun Jin! Slow down!" Min Woo chuckled.

"Min Woo… I'm hoping she meant my cooking skills."

"Which I did." I added, with a smile up to Jun Jin.

Jun Jin shook his head. "Min Woo was right there, helping me. I'm really no good." Min Woo rolled his eyes as we finished up.

"Here, I'll do the dishes." I said, feeling guilty.

"No, let me." They both argued, insisting that I sit there and have another cup of coffee.

"You guys will spoil me."

"No one deserves it more than you." Jun Jin grinned.

After they did the dishes, Min Woo said that he had to be getting home. After he left, Jun Jin told me that there were a few things he had to take care of, and that he would come back in about three or four hours.

"I have stuff to do, too, you know." I said, mock pouting. He grinned, hugged me, then left.

I walked to the bookstore, feeling the crisp autumn air in my hair. I was thinking about Min Woo and his words last night again. I shook my head. I needed to buy a new diary and several books. "Focus, Jeong Mi." I told myself. I walked over to find the books first. I found them quickly- I knew this bookstore and many others better than I knew even Min Woo's house. I then walked quietly, past the students drinking coffee and studying, past the children giggling over comic books, and past the browsing men and women to the diary section. I bought a different diary each time, one that I felt reflected my mood or condition. This was another memory in itself. I was immersed in my own thoughts, and soon bumped into someone.

"Jeong Mi!"

"Hye Sung!"

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it." I smiled at him, and he grinned back.

"Here to look for a diary?"

"Yeah." I smiled a little.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing; why do you say that?"

"Because… There is despair written all over your face. Here. I'll help you pick a diary and let's have a cup of coffee. Sometimes it just helps to have a friend."

I picked a black and red one with Chinese symbols running down the front, and I found Hye Sung waiting for me outside after I paid for it. We walked to a café, and sat down inside.

"Here, my treat." He said.

"No, it's all right, thank you."

"Now, after such a good dinner, I owe you a lot more than a cup of coffee. I'm paying." He walked off.

He returned, carrying two steaming cups of coffee. As he handed one to me, he sat down.

"Now, what's wrong?" When I hesitated, he assured me, "You can tell me, you know."

"Well, it's hard to explain."

"I've got the time if you do."

"Well… you know how Min Woo and I have been best friends, right?" He nodded. "And you know how Jun Jin and I are going out, right?"

"Right."

"I overheard a conversation between the two of them yesterday after the rest of you guys left. Min Woo was telling Jun Jin that he's liked a girl for some time."

"What's the problem?"

"That girl is me." I gave him a quick summary of what he had said the night before, while he nodded gently.

"Hmm. Well, I can't tell you that I'm really that surprised." He noted my surprised expression, then went on. "See, Min Woo, when we were growing up, never seemed to show any real interest in any of the girls, not even the rest of us were just falling head over heels for. And whenever we asked him if he didn't think this girl was pretty or nice, or whatever, he'd always be really sketchy, saying things like 'She's okay.' That was about the extent of it. And when we sensed that something was up, we'd ask him, even when we were in junior high school."

"Okay." I stammered.

"And we'd ask him," he continued, "If he had a girlfriend or something. He wouldn't get flustered or anything, but he'd just shrug and wouldn't say much about the subject." He paused. "But Jun Jin really likes you, too. He's never acted like this in the whole time I've known him. He goes around humming various ballads, his dances are more exciting and happy, and he just can't stop smiling all day."

"I don't know what I should do. I feel like breaking out into tears and laughter and rolling over and over on the ground in pain, all at the same time."

"I understand." He said quietly. "Listen, I can't help you with the decision you're faced with." I looked up at him. "But I can tell you this: Min Woo wants you to get together with Jun Jin for your sake. He thinks he's not good enough. He wants you to be happy, and that's all I can tell you. Follow your heart."

I nodded slowly, my eyes leaking soft tears. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to me. "Here. It's all right." He smiled at me, and even through my tears, I smiled back. "I'll walk you home." I got up, put on my coat, and he held my arms gently. "But once you get home, I want you to do yourself a favor. Make a list of pros and cons about Jun Jin and Min Woo, then throw it all away. You'll make the right decision." We walked to my house, and he stopped at the doorway. I offered back his handkerchief. He smiled, then shook his head.

"Keep it. And think about what I said, all right?" I nodded, then whispered, "Thank you." He grinned, then ran off.

An hour later, Jun Jin walked in. I looked up from my lecture notebook I had been studying from. He hugged me from behind, and I gasped, "You're so cold!"

"Then make me a cup of tea." He smiled.

"Two seconds."

I went into the living room with two cups of tea and a platter of butter cookies on a tray. He was sitting there, his hat, scarf, coat, and gloves in a neat pile next to him. He smiled up at me, and I sat down next to him. We were enjoying our tea when he said, "Hey, Jeong Mi, let's go for a drive."

"Where?"

"Anywhere." So we put on our coats and got into Jun Jin's silver Audi again. He put on a beautiful R&B ballad with piano and violin background music. He reached over and put my hand on the stick, then put his hand over mine. My insides fluttered again, and I blushed a bit. He smiled, staring ahead at the road.

He drove us to a forest, where the autumn leaves were falling. We got out, and he led me by the hand to a secluded spot under a maple tree. It was astonishingly beautiful.

"Jun Jin…" I breathed. He smiled at my reaction. I slowly walked over to him, put my hand on his shoulder, and kissed his cheek. He blushed, then embraced me tightly. He let me go, then held my hands in his.

"I feel like the happiest man in the world. I know that that sounds very cliché, but I hope you know what I mean, and not let the cliché hinder my meaning." He put his arm around my shoulder, then kissed me on my cheek again. We sat in the shade of the maple, sheltered by its leaves, the sunlight filtering through, lighting up our faces as though the sun itself shone red. We sat so that his arm was around my shoulder, and my head leaned against his shoulder and chest. We sat there without moving.

"Jeong Mi, I know it's only been a week since we've met, and I know we shouldn't rush things too fast, but…" I looked up. His hand moved to my head as he looked down into my eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Jun Jin…"

"If you think that I'm rushing things, it's all right. I can wait for you."

"Jun Jin…" I took a deep breath. "I would love to be your girlfriend."

His face broke into the biggest smile I had seen yet. I took his hat off of his head and placed it on mine. He broke out laughing again, and kissed me on my cheek. I placed my hand on his cheek, then kissed the other one, softly, then slowly pulled away. I then stood up and took off running. He got up and ran after me, laughing. He grabbed at my coat and tickled my sides, and I pulled away, giggling, and continued to run. He grabbed me by the waist with one hand, but lost me as I twisted away. He finally came up to me, and putting his arms around my waist, fell over with me into a small pile of fallen leaves. We lay there, laughing and trying to catch our breaths. He reached over to tickle me, and I giggled, and twisted and turned. I sat up, preparing to run away again, when he sat up and continued to tickle me, then hugged me close, laughing. I couldn't control my laughter, either. We spent about another five minutes laughing together. We got up, dusting ourselves off, the remnants of laughter still left on our faces.

"Hey, do you want to go to my parents' house for dinner?" He asked, brushing off some leaves from my shoulders. I paused while dusting off his shoulders and lapel.

"Your parents?"

"Well, yeah. You're going to meet them someday anyways, and then if you don't mind, you can spend the night over at my house, because I spent last night at yours."

"Um…" I hesitated. "Sure, why not."

"Then, I'll drive you home, we can get a little cleaned up, then I'll pick you up and we'll go to my parents' house."

He drove me home, and he told me a little about his parents. His father was an architect, and wanted Jun Jin to follow in his footsteps. His mother was a homemaker and an artist, and she had successfully raised Jun Jin and his younger sister. They loved to drink tea and go to church, and watch Jun Jin dance and his sister sing. In addition, his father was a master of break dance. "They'll love you." He said.

As soon as I got home Jun Jin told me to get all the stuff I would need for the night in a small bag, then put it in the car later so that we could go directly from his parents' house to his house. He then kissed me on the cheek and left, and I immediately dug out a box of fine tea that I had been saving, and wrapped it in gift wrap and put it in a decorative bag. I hoped his parents would like it.

I washed up, then donned a white blouse with neatly pressed black pants. I dried and brushed my hair, then tied it back gently with a black and grey ribbon. As I was finishing up, Jun Jin came in.

"Wow." He breathed.

"What?" I asked, and turned around.

He was dressed in black pants and a white shirt, with a neat grey tie. "You look absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you. You don't look so bad, either." I grinned.

"You said you can read palms, but I think you can read minds, too. How'd you match with me so perfectly?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to look nice for your parents."

"Well, they'll be very satisfied." He laughed.

"Come on, we'll be late." I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. He chuckled and touched my earring.

"For good luck." He whispered. He handed me my coat and donned his own, then walked out of the house.

I loaded my things into the car, and held the bag with the tea tightly.

"What is that?"

"It's for your parents only, so hands off, Jun Jin." I mock scolded.

"Yes, ma'am."

We stopped in front of a large house, with neat, sophisticated gardens and double French doors. Jun Jin rang the bell, then stepped back, taking my hand in his.

"Oh, Jun Jin, you're here!" A woman in her early fifties opened the door. She looked young and beautiful. "Oh!" She stared in surprise. "And who's this?"

"I'll introduce her to you along with dad in a bit, mom." He reached down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh, I've brought something for you, ma'am." I handed her the bag.

"Oh!" She looked surprised, then smiled a tight smile. "Come on in." She examined me as I walked past her, and I could feel her eyes on my back as Jun Jin led me down a hall to the living room. But I could not read what she thought of me at all.

A man, in his mid- fifties sat on the couch, reading the newspaper. "Jin! You're home. How are…" He trailed off. "And who's this beautiful young lady?" He eyed me with a smile in his kind eyes as his wife walked in. She sat down next to her husband, and I bowed. "Hello, ma'am, sir. I am Lee Jeong Mi. I'm very pleased to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." The man spoke up. "I'm Jun Jin's father."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Jun Jin's mother." The woman nodded her head. Jun Jin broke out into a relieved smile.

"Mom, dad, Jeong Mi is my… my girlfriend." Jun Jin said proudly and smiled.

"Well, we guessed. We were just waiting for him to say it, eh?" Jun Jin's father laughed, winking at me. I laughed despite myself. His father had seen the bag. "What's this?" he asked, looking at me. Jun Jin's mother opened the bag, unwrapped the box, and gasped at the tea.

"But this tea… not only is it difficult to find, it's expensive!" she gasped.

"No, it really wasn't, ma'am. Besides, I'd like you to enjoy it with your husband and son."

"Well!" She still looked astonished but was looking quite pleased. She stood up. I'll have dinner ready in a about ten minutes. I stood up as well and followed her into the kitchen.

"Is there anything I may help with?"

"No, it's all right." She smiled warmly at me.

"Are you sure?" I asked. My expression must have been worried.

"No, really. I just have to heat up the stew and put it on the table. Oh, and I have to set a place for you, too!" She brought out a spoon and a pair of chopsticks as well as an extra chopstick place. She set it down with a cup at a seat. "There." She smiled. "Go on. I think Jinnie's father wants to talk to you." I turned around and walked back into the living room. I sat down next to Jun Jin. His father smiled at me, his eyes twinkling.

"I haven't seen Jun Jin this happy in a long time." I blushed.

"I haven't been this happy in a long time, either, sir."

"Come now, what is this all this sir nonsense? I'll have none of that in the house. You will call me 'dad', just as Jun Jin does." He looked amused and pleased at the same time, while the corners of Jun Jin's mouth twitched.

"Yes… dad." I smiled and looked at Jun Jin. He had been holding my hand.

"Now, tell me about yourself." He said.

"Well, I'm a student in college, two years younger than your son, but only one grade lower, and I met him through a sort of arranged date through a mutual friend."

"Ha!" he laughed. "Mutual friend. I like the way you put that! Let me guess. Was it Min Woo?"

"Yes, how did you know, sir- I mean, dad?"

"Just a guess." His eyes were twinkling again. "Go on."

I went to explain that I was born in Pusan and that I had studied abroad. Jun Jin interjected that I had a wonderful sense of humor, and he laughed. "I noticed- I'm having trouble not laughing at the things she says!"

I also explained that I had grown up in a very traditional household, and that despite this, I was able to fend for myself.

"How so?"

"Dad, she's a black belt in tae kwon do." Jun Jin said proudly.

"Well then!" His eyes grew wide and he smiled in wonder. "Maybe you can protect this wimp of a son." He laughed heartily. Jun Jin blushed mightily.

"No, dad, that's not true… Jun Jin's very brave. After all, he was brave enough to go out on an arranged date with me and later to ask me to be his girlfriend."

Jun Jin's father turned to him and behind his hand, told him, "Hey, make sure you take good care of this one."

"Dinner's ready!" Jun Jin's mother called. Jun Jin was still holding my hand as we stood up and headed towards the kitchen. He squeezed my hand, then smiled down at me. Although I was still nervous, I couldn't help but be a bit relieved when he smiled. Jun Jin's mother noticed that we walked in with our hands laced together, but she didn't call attention to it, nor did her expression change. We sat down next to each other, and they joined hands in a prayer. I felt Jun Jin's soft, reassuring hand in my left, and his father's similar, but bigger hand, in my right. I had never prayed before, but the feeling of togetherness as Jun Jin's father led the prayer overwhelmed me, and I felt myself washed with a sense of family and belonging, truly.

We began to eat after the prayer, and Jun Jin's father asked, "You're not Christian, are you, Jeong Mi?"

"No, I'm Buddhist."

"Ah, well. It would be a wonderful thing for Jun Jin to familiarize himself in all sorts of situations in the world. Well, it's sort of a custom in our house, whenever we all eat together, we say one thing that we're thankful for. Let's have Jun Jin start us off, and we'll circle around- Jun Jin, my wife, and me. We'll give you a bit of time to think."

"I'm grateful for… being able to meet a girl like Jeong Mi." Jun Jin said immediately. I blushed furiously, while his parents noticed and laughed.

"I'm grateful for… a loving husband, a dutiful son, and a wonderful, beautiful life." Jun Jin's mother proclaimed poetically.

"I'm grateful for our family's health, our happiness, and our lives." Jun Jin's father said, dipping into his soup.

"I'm… I'm grateful for… you, dad, and you… may I call you mom?" I asked tentatively. She laughed, a tinkling sound that was full of delicate strength, as in her son.

"Why are you grateful for us, Jeong Mi?"

"Because… without you, Jun Jin would never have come into my life. Thank you." I felt Jun Jin's hand under the table, on my knee, and he squeezed tightly once, then let go. Jun Jin's parents were smiling. I must have done something right… But that was about to change.

Jun Jin's father asked me to pass the kimchi, and as I raised my arm to comply, but my sleeve caught onto the tablecloth. When I raised my arm, I pulled the cloth up. My utensils flew up, and my cup fell over, spilling the cold water all over the cloth.

"Oh, no!" I cried, despite myself. Jun Jin winced. Jun Jin's mother immediately stood up and brought a towel to wipe the table down with. I felt like crying. This dinner had been my chance to impress his parents… I had been wishing that I could have made them laugh or something, not cause even more trouble! I fought down the tears that struggled in my eyes. I would not cry- it was a Korean tradition that crying brought bad luck upon the house. I looked up as much as I dared. Jun Jin looked sympathetic and assuring. Jun Jin's mother… I could not read her expression more than I could when I first walked into their home. Jun Jin's father, however, looked as though he was about to burst out laughing. He did.

"Jeong Mi, don't be so nervous! You've been lifting your spoon to your mouth with a trembling hand; it's all right. We won't bite you. We're happy that you have come with Jun Jin to visit us!" I giggled, in spite of myself. I felt stupid, but a little reassured. The tears flowed back into my reserve quietly.

After dinner, I asked to help with the dishes, but Jun Jin's mother said that she would do them later.

"Is it because I'm so clumsy?" She laughed.

"No, dear, it's all right. I'd rather be accommodating our guests than doing the dishes, that's all. After all, it's not everyday Jun Jin comes over to eat; and even rarer when he brings a girl!" She sounded pleased for the first time that evening.

When Jun Jin's mother and I walked out of the kitchen after the dishes were cleared, Jun Jin challenged his father to a match of arm wrestling. His father smiled and whispered to me, "He's never won against me before."

"With those arms?" I asked. "But he's so strong…" He only laughed.

They were about to start, when I stopped them. I pulled out my handkerchief and tied it around Jun Jin's arm. "For good luck," I whispered into his ear.

They began to wrestle, and it was actually very close- Jun Jin and his father went back and forth, back and forth, but his father finally pushed him over, and they both rolled over, sweating.

"My son must really like you. He's never come that close to beating me before." He panted. I giggled, then said, "It's all right. I like the man who wins, but I love the man who tries."

Jun Jin looked at me with an unfathomable look. His mother came in with four cups of steaming tea. She set down a cup first in front of her husband, then put one down each in front of myself and Jun Jin. Jun Jin slowly breathed in the aroma of the tea.

"Mmm… This smells good." He said, smiling.

"Yes, this smells very fine." His father agreed, nodding.

"This is the tea that Jeong Mi was kind enough to bring us." His mother nodded.

"This really is very excellent tea." His father smiled, taking a sip.

"I think that Jeong Mi can sometimes read within our deepest desires and our thoughts." Jun Jin smirked.

"No, not yet. That's coming up next semester in our Psychology class," I joked.

After we had finished our tea, we stood up, his parents thanking us for coming, while we thanked his parents again and again for having us. We bowed, and they saw us to the door. I let out a great sigh of relief after we had gotten into the car.

"I survived." I breathed. I had actually made it through with only one (major) lapse!

"Of course you did! Your wit and charm won them over. They usually don't react like that to anyone." Jun Jin grinned.

"No, I can't believe that I'm so clumsy! I've only seen that happen in books or in movies. And for the record I don't think it was my charm or intelligence; I think it was the tea." I laughed, relieved. He laughed with me.

"Well, I like the graceful woman, but I also like the woman that makes me laugh. Even more the woman who makes my parents laugh." He said, mimicking me. He paused. "By the way, how did you get that fine tea?"

"I had it, and I was saving it for something. I didn't even remember it until tonight, but when you mentioned tea, something… just clicked." I said thoughtfully.

"Well, I'm glad my girlfriend is such a genius." He smiled that goofy, loving smile of his.

"Are you mocking me, Park Choong Jae?"

"Of course not." He grinned. We laughed.

We arrived at his house within thirty minutes of driving. It was a small, one floor house- what would have been a small cottage had it been in the country- that was about the same size as mine. We got out of the house, and Jun Jin took my bag.

"I can carry it, Jun Jin!" I blushed.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." He walked to the door and held the door open for me.

"Thank you."

Once inside, I looked around. The house was clean, the interior simple. The walls were a welcoming, light shade of blue, and when he turned on the light, the room was flooded with a white, but not harsh, light. I walked around, running my hand over the sofa and chairs, and a countertop turned table. Jun Jin stood, grinning and loosening his tie, while I admired his living room. He wrapped the tie around his hand, then unwrapped it.

"It's not much, but. I hope you'll think of it as home."

"No, it's beautiful!" He laughed, then came towards me and put his arms around my neck and shoulders in an embrace.

"I really must apologize."

"For what?"

"For just whisking you away to see my parents."

"Why? Don't apologize. It was great meeting your parents! Terrifying at first, but great."

"Nevertheless, I shouldn't have done that. It's just that… my parents like to know how a relationship is going. Not how it went." He laughed. "And besides… I've been wanting to show you off since we met." He kissed me on the cheek, then pressed his face into my shoulder. My arms were pressed against his chest. We stood there for a moment. He finally let me go, and smiled. "Here, I'll show you to the… Oh no!"

"Jun Jin, what is it?"

"There's one matter I forgot about…"

"What?"

"I only have one bed." He grinned sheepishly.

"That's all right, I can sleep on the couch, in a chair, anywhere. I thought Min Woo already went over this." I giggled.

"No, I'll sleep on the couch. You can sleep in my bed."

"No. Jun Jin, no. I won't have you sleeping on the couch in your own home. Do you have some floor mats and an extra blanket or something?"

"No, sorry. I have an extra blanket, but it's not warm enough."

"Well… If you won't let me sleep on the couch, and I won't let you sleep on the couch…"

"You can give in to me." Jun Jin finished.

"I don't do that, Jun Jin dear."

"Then what?"

"Well… we could sleep in the same bed… as long as we don't do… anything." I concluded, blushing even redder now.

"That's all right with me." He said hurriedly.

"All right, then."

"You can go ahead and shower first, if you like."

"Thanks." I took my bag and walked into the bathroom as he pointed.

As I let the warm water run over my body, I thought. Jun Jin wouldn't have done this on purpose, would he? No, he was too innocent… But some encounters with some other male classmates had made me a little weary.

"Hey, Jeong Mi, can I see you after class in the east hallway after school?" A boy said to me as he passed by me on the way to class. I knew him a little. His name was Choi Jung Chul. He was two years older than I, in the same grade. He had two classes with me, and he was all right; he made it through the class without putting too much effort into it, but lately, he had been having more trouble than usual. We never really spoke, unless he was asking me a question. For him to ask to see me like this was odd, but I didn't think much of it. After all the classes were over, I made my way to the east hall. It was entirely empty, and my footsteps echoed in the wide hall. I looked around, then at my cell phone. Great, I had missed two calls. From Min Woo. "Who else?" I thought aloud, and chuckled to myself. I replaced my phone in my side pocket and leaned against a wall to wait. I would only wait five minutes. I had promised to make Min Woo dinner. After about two minutes, Jung Chul walked up.

"There you are! I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up at all." I said.

He said nothing and walked closer and closer to me. I walked backwards, a feeling of unease creeping up my spine. I took another step and hit the wall. I couldn't go any further. He put his arm against the wall, next to my head.

"You know, you're really very pretty," he said, the dark masking his face. "I've been wanting to taste that skin of yours for a long time."

"Jung Chul… What are doing?" He ran his tongue from my chin to my cheekbone. I twisted away, but he grabbed me.

"I like you, so I'll try my best not to hurt you." He grabbed my blouse. I ducked down and pleaded, "Jung Chul, please don't do this."

He pulled me up and kissed me on the neck. I kneed him in the groin. As he fell over leaning, I grabbed my bag and started running. He swore and ran after me, grabbing me from behind and knocking me down. He sat on top of me and began to tear open my shirt. I tried to throw him off, but with his weight on top of me, I could barely move. I could only lie there in terror as he moaned into my shoulder. I felt his hard manhood against my stomach as he began to rock back and forth on top of me, tearing off more of my clothes. Suddenly, he fell off of me with a dazed look on his face. I looked up to find Min Woo standing above him.

"You think you're so strong against a girl so much smaller than you. I'm about the same size. See if you're so strong against me." Min Woo challenged. Jung Chul, now furious, lunged at Min Woo. He easily sidestepped the attack and snorted.

"You'll have to do better than that." Jung Chul lunged again.

"I'm surprised you could even attack Jeong Mi like that. You must have surprised her." Min Woo threw a punch into his stomach, and Jung Chul keeled over, swearing. He got up slowly as Min Woo stared amusedly at him.

"Go to hell, Lee."

"I'll see you there." Min Woo replied cheerfully. Jung Chul took off running. I broke down, sobbing into my knees. Min Woo kneeled down next to me and unbuttoned his shirt. He took it off and put it around my shoulders. I looked up to find him only in his thin undershirt.

"But Min Woo, you'll be cold." I insisted through my tears, and pushed his shirt away. But he simply pushed it back and looked away. I looked down at myself. My shirt had been all but torn apart. My underclothes were showing, and Min Woo pulled his shirt tighter around me, then helped me to get up. I didn't report the attempted rape; I was afraid Jung Chul would find some way to get back at me through Min Woo. But I had a fitful sleep that night, even with Min Woo by my side. He wasn't sleeping, either.

I had been afraid that Jung Chul was going to get back at me through Min Woo. I shouldn't have worried. I should have known. The next day, as I walked down the dorm hallway, the students were all abuzz, and they whispered and pointed as I walked past. One of my friends, Ar Lee (who preferred to be called Arlene) whispered into my ear, "Hey, you'd better make it down to the dean's office. Everyone's talking about how Min Woo got dragged down to the office this morning."

I ran back to my room to get my bag as well as the shirt from the day before. I wanted to shudder when I touched it, even thought about it; but I had bigger things to do. I ran to the dean's office. I could hear Min Woo's quiet voice as well as the dean's resonating one.

"Why would you attack a fellow student?"

"Why don't you try asking him that?"

"Mr. Lee, I'm not accusing you."

"With all due respect, it sounds as though you are, sir." Min Woo said calmly.

I burst in. "Sir, I'm very sorry to interrupt." I bowed.

"You are Lee Jeong Mi. I personally handed you your scholarship when you came to our fine college at the beginning of the year." He said.

"Yes, sir." I dared not look up.

"I take it that you have some evidence for or against one of these young gentlemen. Let us hear it."

"Sir, Lee Min Woo did attack Choi Jung Chul. However, it was in defense of someone."

"Whom?"

"Myself, sir."

"Please continue." He stared thoughtfully over his spectacles.

"I was asked by Mr. Choi to please meet him after my classes. My last class is the last class of the day, So when I went to meet him, it was nearly dark. I waited for some time, and he did not appear. Suddenly, he came up and started to walk towards me… and then he tried to rape me. If Min Woo had not arrived when he had, I would be a more impure being standing here today." I concluded, letting out a deep breath.

"Is there any proof?"

"I have here a shirt that I was wearing yesterday, torn to pieces by Mr. Choi's strength. In addition, I am aware that there are security cameras in the East Hall. I should know, I helped to choose the locations earlier this year." I held out the shirt.

The dean studied it for a moment, then said sternly, "Mr. Choi, is what Ms. Lee here is claming true?"

He blanched for a minute. "No, why would I want to rape her? I mean, she's really not all that pretty, and she's got the foulest temper of any girl I've ever seen." He paused. I noticed Min Woo's hands began to curl up, tightly clenching the arms of the chair he sat in, though his face remained perfectly composed. "Besides," He continued, "I don't like sluts. Look at her, dancing around with all the guys on campus and now coming to save this poor guy's behind." Min Woo stood up, breathing heavily.

"Don't you ever say that about Jeong Mi. She's not the one that dances around assholes like you; it's all in your imagination, so I think we'd better get someone to check your head. Maybe we should get someone to check your eyes too; if you think that this woman standing in front of you is ugly, you need to see an optometrist, because she's absolutely beautiful."

Jung Chul seemed taken aback, and the dean merely eyed Min Woo carefully. He then pressed the speaker button on his phone.

"Miss Kim, would you be so kind as to get me the security tape from the East Hall that was recording from 9:00 PM until about 11:00? Thank you." He pressed the button again. Jung Chul's face turned a peculiar shade of yellow, then stuck out his chin.

"My father will take care of everything, you'll see! He'll make Lee Min Woo pay for this!"

"Pardon me, Mr. Choi, but you are aware that this is a university, not a grade school. Please, control yourself. Thank you." The dean said calmly. Within five minutes the tape arrived; within thirty minutes, Choi Jung Chul had officially been expelled from the school, and the police had been contacted.

As I ran my fingers through my hair as the warm water cascaded over it and over my shoulders, my thoughts flowed back to Min Woo. He was my best friend. But I had made my choice, and I wasn't ashamed of it at all. I was glad of my decision. I stepped out of the shower, and the thoughts of Min Woo vanished like the water drops that I wiped from my back. I wrapped a towel about myself, then walked out to the bedroom. Jun Jin's bedroom. There was a medium sized bed in one corner of the room, and a closet and a set of drawers next to it. The bed was situated next to a window with white curtains. There was a large bookshelf, overflowing with multitudes of books across from the bed, and a rug led to the focus of attention of the room- the desk. The desk was slightly messy, many books and cups filled with pens and pencils all over the part of the desk that the computer didn't occupy. It so reminded me of my own desk that I giggled despite myself. I looked around some more. The entire room was beautifully yet simply decorated. I looked up at the ceiling, sighing at how wonderful Jun Jin was, when I noticed something that took my breath away. The ceiling was covered in stars! There were stars twinkling down, and constellations everywhere! The sky was perfectly arranged, just as it looked at night on a mountain. I was still staring as I dressed myself, and as I walked back into the bathroom to dry my hair as well. Still awestruck by the beautiful ceiling, I walked out to where Jun Jin was reading a book. As I entered, he stood, and gasped.

"Such beauty in my household! Who would have guessed?"

"I certainly wouldn't have. That ceiling is magnificent." He grinned and blushed.

"It took forever." He humbly acknowledged. I kissed him on the cheek.

"Go and take a shower now. The faster you do it, the more time we have together." He smiled back, then walked into his bedroom. He came out, thirty minutes later with a towel draped about his neck and his hair still a bit wet. I looked around his living room and his kitchen for a while. The design here was incredibly well done as well. The blue tinged walls of the living room softly blended into a light, feathery white in the kitchen. There was almost an air of beauty around the whole house, it was so simple and clean. I went back and sat down again on the white couch and took out a book from my bag and read until Jun Jin came out. When he did, I stood up. I went up and embraced him.

"What's this?" He asked in mock surprise, a smile playing on his lips. I put my arms around his neck and my head against his shoulder. He put his arms around my waist as though it were only natural.

"I want to thank you, Jun Jin." I said, feeling the soft texture of his nightshirt against my cheek. He reached up and put his hand on the back of my head.

"No, I'm the one that really has to thank you," Jun Jin said, his voice soft. "for coming into my life, for being yourself, for being Jeong Mi, and for accepting this being called Park Choong Jae as yours." His hand tightened around my waist, and he placed his chin on my head. He pulled away, and began to laugh.

"I need to do the 'Man Doo Show' for you," he laughed. "All the guys thought it was really hilarious, although I'd probably have to change a few parts to suit the audience." He winked. "Would you be willing to wait for a couple of minutes, then watch a thirty minute live show?" He was so excited and his expression was so hilarious that I could not refuse.

"Wait here, okay?" he said, and sat me down on the sofa again. He disappeared into his room. I had barely just sat down when he came back, holding a large box of various jumbled objects. I could see a suit jacket, a rather large CD case, a necktie, and a rather large hat with a feather sticking out of it. He set the box down carefully, then took the CD case out and set it down next to his stereo. He took out the suit jacket, and necktie, then set it down on the sofa next to me. He thought for a moment, then took the hat and put it on top of the neat pile. There also came various books, magazines, bricks, and an odd looking spatula. When he was done, he cleared the box away. He donned the tie and the suit jacket over his pajamas. Upon his request, I fixed his tie for him. He stood in front of me in the middle of the room and cleared his throat.

"Dear lady, tonight, you are about to witness a major production. Written and directed by Park Choong Jae, we are proud to present to you… 'The Man Doo Show'." He bowed, then left his makeshift stage to put a CD into the stereo. A classical harpsichord and violin piece poured out of the speakers. He put on the hat, then rushed to the counter.

"Where art the lady I await?" He cried, then fell to his knees. He slowly crawled over to my feet, panting, "Ah, my lady! I have awaited you so long!" Once at my feet, he changed, along with the music. The music became as a child's rhyme, and Jun Jin turned into a cute puppy, whimpering and wagging his tail at my feet. I reached out and petted his head, so alike were his eyes to that of an adorable puppy. He smiled and barked once, doing a back flip from his squatting position. I gasped and clapped. The music changed again, to a popular women's pop band, singing a fast paced love song. He began to dance in a silly manner, singing along to the words. I giggled, and he took my hands and pulled me up. He danced around me, and his eyes told me, "Dance. Enjoy yourself." So I did. I danced in the same goofy manner as he was, shaking my hair out of my eyes.

Then the music changed again, into the instrumental of a soft, well- known ballad. In fact, it was the one he had played in his car on our first date. He began to sing to the music, sitting down next to me and staring deep into my eyes. He looked so goofy, with his pajama bottoms, suit jacket, tie, and feathered hat, but I couldn't help but feel my insides flutter. Was this love? I wondered. He continued to sing, and I began to hum along with his strong voice. He took my hands in his and put them in his lap, and I felt his emotion wash over me like an ocean of fire. I could feel it in the air, his eyes, and even his voice that sang the last bars of the song. When the song was over, he kissed my cheek and went back out onto the floor. Another classical instrumental, this time with piano, came on, and he cleared his throat.

"When you look at me." He cleared his throat again. "When you look at me, I can feel the strength in your soul. When I look into your soul, I can feel the emotion in your heart. When I look into your heart, I can feel that I am yours. The eyes that sparkle with the fire of Prometheus, the soul that warms with the power of love, the heart that beats with mine in perfect synchronization. That is how I know that that I am yours. I long to be that apple of thine sweet eyne, I desire to be he who fuels your soul, I desire to be he in your heart. That," he concluded, "is how I know that I am yours." He had come closer to me, and kneeled down in front of my sitting form. I placed my hand upon his cheek and kissed the other. His face went red, then returned to normalcy. The music changed. For the last time, into a soft, slow ballad. He held out his hand, and murmured, "May I have this dance?" I did not answer, but merely stood up and spun into his waiting embrace. He put his arms around my waist, and I placed mine around his neck, and we slowly rocked back and forth, basking in each others' presence.

"Did you like it?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you." I paused. "Was this why you didn't come and see me before Min Woo called all of you guys over?" I stared up. He grinned sheepishly down. I leaned my head against his shoulder.

"I feel like I've known you for eternity, Jun Jin." I whispered.

"Our souls must be linked, our meeting, destiny." He whispered back. The song ended. I pulled away.

"Thank you so much for everything." He smiled. "But one question."

"What is it?"

"Why did you call it the 'Man Doo Show'?" He burst out laughing.

"That's my nickname. That, and Lion- Head. My hair." He explained, laughing.

"Oh!" I began to laugh as hard as he was. "I see. Well, my mother calls me 'Lion- Head', too!" We both could not control our laughter. He hugged me.

"Let's go to bed, and we can fall asleep watching a movie or something." We were still laughing. I became serious again.

"Jun Jin, are you sure about us sleeping together in the same bed?" I stammered. "I know that I'm the one who suggested it, but I'm having second thoughts… Not because I don't trust you or anything." I assured, noting the funny expression he wore. "It's more because I don't trust myself." I finished.

"I'll try to control myself, if that's what you mean." He put his arm around my shoulder. "We'll be fine." We walked to the bedroom together.

We lay down next to each other, but a bit far. He pulled closer to me, pulling the covers around us. He placed his arm beneath my head, to make me a bit more comfortable. His body and mine were so close together… I had no recollection of ever being so close to anyone… Or at least being aware of it. I felt a slight pressure at my leg. I blushed furiously when I realized what it must be.

"Umm, Jun Jin…?"

"What is it, Jeong Mi?"

"Umm…" I stuttered.

"What is it?" He sounded a bit strained.

"I think you're going, umm… happy- happy on me." He blushed as well.

"I'm trying to control it. I'm sorry. I feel so embarrassed!"

"Here, I think it would be better if I went and slept on the sofa, if you tell me where I can find the spare blanket."

"No, you'll get sick that way!" He exclaimed. "Please. I think I've got it under control now." He said, and the pressure alleviated.

"All right, then." He began to sing in my ear, replacing his arms around my body as he hugged me close. His soft voice soon lulled me to sleep, and we fell asleep in each others' arms, and true to his word, Jun Jin controlled himself very well. Just as I fell asleep, I thought to myself, The Man Doo Show… he made it just for me. Just like my heart belonged to him. I pushed my thoughts of Min Woo to a corner of my head. He was my best friend, and it was his desire that Jun Jin and I be happy together… So we would.

When I woke up the next morning, Jun Jin was still asleep. I was strongly reminded of several nights before when I had woken up before Min Woo. I pushed the thought to the back of my head, and examined Jun Jin. He was such an angel asleep! His sculpted face was soft, yet rigid in its ways… Like an unreachable star that looks so beautiful, twinkling in the night sky in its somber glory. He was smiling slightly, one side of his ever- perfect lips lilting upward. After about a minute of staring at his perfect face, I repositioned my hand on his back. He pulled me closer. Was he awake?

"Did I wake you up?" I whispered.

"No, I just woke up. But I'm going to lie here and pretend that I'm not awake." He whispered back. I giggled. He chuckled and smiled. I pulled closer kissed his nose. He wrinkled it and laughed. His eyes fluttered open. His eyes were remarkably clear for someone who had been asleep for hours. He kissed my nose, causing me to giggle.

"That tickles! Jun Jin…!" He was tickling my sides. I squirmed and twisted. "You knew I was ticklish since yesterday!"

"That's the point." He replied, laughing. He crinkled his rigid nose again, and I laughed harder. I sat up, twisting away, but he, too, sat up and hugged me with his firm arms and pulled me over to kiss me on the cheek.

"Good morning, Jeong Mi."

"Good morning, Jun Jin."

I made him breakfast while he washed up. We ate together, Jun Jin periodically merely looking up to stare at me without saying anything. I smiled at him, and his eyes crinkled and his beautiful lips tilted upward. Afterwards, I washed up and made ready to go to my first class.

"Jun Jin, could you do me a favor and drive me home? I have to get a few things, then go to school."

"What, did you think I was going to just leave you here?"

"Maybe." I smiled. He hugged me, then kissed my nose.

"Silly Jeong Mi. I'll drive you home and drive you to school. After all, our schools and that other one have their first 'intracampus' meeting today… At your school."

"Really? I didn't know that. Wonder what it is. Who signed up?"

"Me, Dong Wan, and Hye Sung signed up from our school. You and Min Woo both signed up, right?"

"Yeah. Too bad Andy and Eric are off at their own, happy- go- lucky school."

"I know." He nodded. "Let's go." He said, putting his arm around my shoulder.

We stopped off at my house to pick up my book bag. When I got into the car again, Jun Jin sat there and smiled.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing. You just look so cute and innocent with all your school things." I snorted. "What? You do." He insisted. I playfully slapped him in the arm. He grinned mischievously. "Anyway, I'd rather look at you than do this intraschool project thingy." He laughed infectiously. I broke out into giggles.

"I wonder what we're going to do?" I wondered out loud after I had stopped chuckling.

"Probably they'll give us a bunch of work to do and give us more work after that." He speculated.

"Probably." I agreed, after a moment of silence.

We rode the rest of the way animatedly talking about my school.

"You know my school is better than yours." Jun Jin teased.

"In your dreams, love! Not only does our school get better grades, but we win most of the games we play against you guys and other schools!"

"Nu uh." He shook his head, smiling. We continued to argue happily as we approached the school.

"There's a parking space." I pointed. He parked smoothly, and we got out of the car.

"All right, now show me to your… wherever we're supposed to go." He finished after a moment of thought. I laughed.

"If anywhere, we'd have to go to the main hall. This way." I called. "Come on, Jun Jin, keep up!" I teased as I ran ahead. He laughed, then chased after me.

"Gotcha!" He cried as he put his arms around me. We crashed into someone and fell over. I looked up, mid- giggle, to find Min Woo's amused face staring into mine.

"Min Woo!" I sat up and dusted myself off. "You're here early."

"Yeah. After you guys just ditched like that yesterday, I felt lonely." He said dryly.

"How do you know everything, man?" Jun Jin griped good- naturedly.

"I have my ways." Min Woo winked at me. "Now, you guys better go and sign in over there. Jeong Mi, you're in the line on the left, Jun Jin, to the far right." He walked away with Jun Jin to where the line was. I made my way over to my line, where several tens of students were already waiting. But the line was moving fairly quickly for its size; I estimated twenty minutes of waiting, though. After about ten minutes of humming softly to myself, Jun Jin and Min Woo came up to me.

"I win." Jun Jin said with a serious face.

"But…" I said. "What did you win as a prize?"

"Hrm…" He said without hesitation. "You." I laughed, and he broke out into a grin. I didn't look at Min Woo's face; I found that I couldn't. At length, he spoke.

"Congratulations, Jeong Mi. I hear that you two have established your relationship." He touched my shoulder. I looked up at his face. He looked happier than he had been in several weeks. "I'll buy dinner tonight."

"No, Min Woo! What are you going on about? You're the one who introduced the two of us to each other. Without you, we never would have even dreamed of such a thing! I'm buying."

I remained silent. I was happy that Jun Jin and I were in a relationship, but why did I feel this low, dull aching at the bottom of my heart?

"Hey! Min Woo! Jun Jin! Jeong Mi!" Someone yelled from behind us. "MinWooJunJinJeongMiMinWooJunJinJeongMi!" The words became a blur of harmonious discord. I looked back. Dong Wan and Hye Sung were frantically waving their arms and running towards us. They collapsed in a breathless heap.

"I won."

"You did not!"

"I, Dong Wan, am the superior runner."

"No you aren't! Hey, Jeong Mi! Who won?" Hye Sung stared up, gasping. I couldn't help but laugh. I took both their hands and held them up.

"Winners!" I proclaimed dramatically. They collapsed, groaning.

"Where'd you guys run from?"

"That park over there." They both raised their arms.

"That's like three miles away! And you ran at full speed, too! You guys are idiots." Min Woo shook his head.

While they bickered, Jun Jin and I had moved up in the line. He had his arm around my shoulder. He was murmuring a song in my ear. Suddenly, he was interrupted by a chorus of laughter from behind us.

"That's Dong Wan for you!" Hye Sung laughed, barely breathing.

Min Woo was cracking up like there was no tomorrow. Dong Wan had taken off after a girl in the line for the third school. I saw her from a distance as Dong Wan approached her. She was pretty, and had long hair with bangs spilling over her forehead. She was not very tall, but she had long legs that supported her graceful frame. As he approached her, his attitude changed- he became, a casual, relaxed, college junior with his hands resting in his pockets, walking around without a care in the world. He walked up to the girl and started to talk. She simply stared at him for a moment, then began to laugh. He smiled, pleased, and extended his hand. She reached out to shake it, and he surprised her by brushing his lips across the top of her hand. She laughed some more. I began to titter. The titters grew into silent, shaking laughter. After some more words were exchanged, Dong Wan seemed very satisfied, and turned away. He walked back to us.

"Score."

"Man, you have problems yet skills. I don't know what to say." Hye Sung was still laughing.

"So? Aren't you going to tell us about her?" Jun Jin asked pointedly.

"Well…" While Dong Wan considered, I slapped Jun Jin lightly on the arm.

"What? You know you're mine and I'm yours, Jeong Mi." He kissed me on the cheek. The guys all stared.

"What just happened?" Hye Sung choked on his laughter.

"Jun Jin, did you just… kiss Jeong Mi?" Even Dong Wan seemed surprised. I reached up and kissed him back. I broke out laughing as they stared for a moment, then began laughing as well.

"So tell us about the girl, Dong Wan!" I laughed.

"Well, she's Song Sun Kim. She goes to that one school across town, here for the intracampus program. Pretty, about five foot three, sucker for romantics, and deadly cute. And… she has a date with me tomorrow at seven."

We all broke out in laughter. Dong Wan grinned, obviously very proud of himself.

"Well, Dong Wan, I hope you don't let this one get away this time." Hye Sung nodded sagely.

"Well, it's not my fault girls fall in love with me like that!" Dong Wan protested.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"What, Dong Wan, are you a player?" I asked, grinning.

"No, I-" Min Woo cut him off.

"Dong Wan here not only goes after girls, he get dumped by them very easily." He explained. I giggled despite myself.

"I don't know why… You're so strong and sensitive and sweet." I turned to Dong Wan. He grinned sheepishly. Jun Jin raised his eyebrow.

"It hasn't been two weeks since we met, and you're already bored with me?" He sniffed and turned away, pretending to cry.

"Oh, Jun Jin…" I consoled, holding back the tides of laughter. " Love, you know that I am yours forever." He turned toward me. I smiled, and he gave me a great embrace. The guys tittered behind his back. He, in turn, let me go, turned around, and picked Dong Wan up by the collar.

"Don't you ever come near Jeong Mi." he threatened. Dong Wan's eyes grew wide. Jun Jin broke out into a fit of laughter, dropping Dong Wan. Dong Wan turned around. Hye Sung and Min Woo had been rocking in silent laughter behind him the whole time. He stuck his lower lip out, but his eyes glinted mischievously.

"Jun Jin… a little possessive, ne? Don't worry. I'll stick to Sun Kim."

We got to the head of the line and signed in. We were all then told to go to the main hall doors, for our class divisions had been posted there. We all walked over to the doors, where many students stood, congregated and heavily engaged in what the doors had to say.

"Hey guys, over here!" A friend of mine called. His name was Young Woo, a friend of mine since my first week of college life. He was the "jock" in our year- he played basketball, soccer, track, not to mention he was six feet, five inches tall! He waved frantically.

I made my way through the crowd and stared up and Young Woo. He stared at Min Woo, Dong Wan, Jun Jin, and Hye Sung as they rushed to keep up with the short one as she waited patiently.

"Who are these guys?" Young Woo asked in mild surprise. "I can recognize Min Woo (short as ever), but I don't know the others."

"Oh! Young Woo, I'd like to introduce you to my friends. This is Hye Sung…" Hye Sung smiled.

"Hello."

"Dong Wan…"

"Hey, how's it going?"

"You already know Min Woo…"

"Hey, Young Woo, long time no see."

"And this is my boyfriend, Jun Jin." I finished.

"Nice to meet you all. I'm Choi Young Woo." He extended his hand to everyone. Then my words hit him. "Boyfriend? Wow… the awesome man- tamer Jeong Mi finally falls for a guy." He smirked. "Well, congratulations, man. You're one lucky guy." He extended his hand to Jun Jin. Jun Jin's face had grown expressionless.

"Thank you. I am very lucky that she accepted me."

"Well, anyways, here's the list for our class. There's ten of us in total, with seven groups." I looked at the list he pointed to, and thus failed to notice Jun Jin's expression darken a shade. The list read:

Park Mi Eun

Jung Pil Kyo

Song Sun Kim

Choi Young Woo

Lee Jeong Mi

Park Choong Jae

Lee Min Woo

Kim Dong Wan

Choi Dal Rae

Rho Eun Mee

"Hey, look! We're all on the list!" Jun Jin grinned.

"No, we're not… look! Hye Sung isn't on the list!"

"Yes he is, right here! Jung Pil Kyo!" He pointed triumphantly. I swiveled my head toward Hye Sung.

"Hello, Pil Kyo."

"Hello, Jeong Mi!" He said brightly. I laughed.

"Hey, look who's on the list, Dong Wan!" Min Woo chuckled.

"Sun Kim! Excellent!"

"Just remember, man: you're here to work." Min Woo said severely. Dong Wan grinned.

"Well, guys, now that we know who we are, let's go into the lecture hall to find out what this is all exactly about." I suggested. We walked into the lecture hall and took our seats, one next to the other. Jun Jin sat next to me, and Young Woo tried to sit next to me, but Min Woo abruptly sat down. Young Woo shrugged, and would have sat down next to him, but Hye Sung, then Dong Wan sat down. I thought nothing of it- simply that I would have to ask them what the devil was going on.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay; our introductory lecture will begin in fifteen minutes, and no, Ms. Cho, you do not have to take notes, and you will not be tested on the material from this lecture." Mrs. Hyun, our dean of education, announced. Min Woo grabbed my hand.

"I need to talk to you for a minute." He led me out. Jun Jin said nothing.

Once he had practically dragged me out to a secluded hallway, he stopped and turned around.

"Min Woo! What's going on?" I demanded.

"Listen , I need to tell you something, and you need to take care not to repeat it to anyone."

"What is it? Min Woo!"

"Young Woo isn't who he seems to be."

"What do you mean? I got to know him on like, my third day of school."

"Yeah, I know, but he's also…" He hesitated, but went on when I gave him a look. "He's also Jung Chul's older brother."

"What? You can't be serious."

"I am. Deadly serious. And he's been wanting to do us in for quite a long time."

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Because I didn't know. I'm sorry, Jeong Mi. Just take care not to let him get too close to you, especially during the programs. The guys and I will be here, but we still need you to be careful."

"All right, Min Woo. I gave him a swift peck on the cheek. He hugged me. I pulled away gently and smiled, then turned back and went back into the hall. I took my seat next to Jun Jin again, and he took my hand. I smiled warmly at him.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, we will begin our introductory lecture."

"Hello, students. Welcome to our school if you are from a different campus, and to our intracampus program to all." A tall man whom I only knew as Dr. Shin spoke. He lectured about the point of the program, how it came to be established, the works. After going on for about an hour and a half on he purpose and the level of intensity of the program, he went on for another half hour on how this would affect our grades. I was an attentive student, but I found myself blinking my eyes sleepily. I yawned.

"Now, I will call out a list of pairs in each group." Dr. Shin announced. I choked on my yawn. He called out a several names, pairing so-and-so up with a counterpart of the opposite gender. He finally arrived at our group, the fourth.

"Lee Min Woo, Choi Dal Rae. Shin Hye Sung, Song Sun Kim." Dong Wan sighed. "Kim Dong Wan. Rho Eun Mee."

I held my breath. "Please don't let him pair up Young Woo with me." I prayed. My heart beat quickly with tension and with fear. But wait! So far, no two people from one school had been paired together. Perhaps I still had a chance!

"Choi Young Woo, Park Mi Eun." I heaved a great sigh of relief. I would go to temple this weekend and thank Kwan Yin, Goddess of Mercy for this.

"Park Choong Jae, Lee Jeong Mi." I could have cried from joy. Jun Jin held my hand tightly and smiled. I looked up. Dr. Shin had begun to speak again.

"Now, today will be simply an introductory day. You will all get to know one another, for every other week, you will see each other and work with each other."

We all got up to leave.

"And one more thing…" Dr. Shin began again. Everyone paused and turned around. "We suggest that you get to know the entire group first, then your partners. We will be collecting a two thousand word essay on your opinions on your group members, and a eight hundred one on your partners. Good day." He turned and walked out, leaving the sound of multiple groans behind. Young Woo dashed out and sped in the direction he had left. Dong Wan looked at him and shrugged. We all walked out together.

"So when are you guys going to explain?"

"Explain what?" Hye Sung looked down.

"Explain what the deal is with you guys and Young Woo."

"You mean, other than the part that his brother tried to… to rape you?" Jun Jin asked angrily. I paused mid-step.

"How did you know this?" I felt tears threatening to well up, tears I had suppressed for the longest time. Min Woo had protected me and loved me, but I finally knew the difference, and why I had chosen to be Jun Jin's girlfriend instead of telling Min Woo that I loved him. Although I hadn't known Jun Jin as long and we hadn't been through as many things together, I realized that Jun Jin would have done the same things for me if he had been in Min Woo's place… and I loved him. It had not even been two weeks, yet… I loved him. I knew it then. Jun Jin went on.

"Min Woo told me, the night I slept over. I swear, I was two feet away from the door and on my way to kill that bastard before Min Woo stopped me. He told me that you probably wouldn't love a murderer." I felt tears leaking out of my eyes, as I fought to hold them back. Jun Jin's frown softened into a look of intense concern. His eyes reflected the pain he felt for me, and apology for reminding me of it to- or so he thought- make me cry. I furiously admonished myself for worrying him. He placed his hand on my shoulder, then drew me in for an embrace.

"Jeong Mi! I'm so sorry. I'll never mention it again. I'm a complete idiot."

"No! Jun Jin, it wasn't that. Really." I struggled to smile. "It's just… you just made me realize how much you like me… and how much I like you back." He stepped back in surprise, his eyes wide open in pleasurable shock. He let out a relieved laugh, then put one hand on either of my shoulders.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I smiled. He drew close to me again, while Hye Sung and Dong Wan began clapping. Suddenly, they stopped, with serious faces, and hastily bowed to someone behind us. Jun Jin let me go, and we turned around.

"Ms. Lee, may I speak to you for a moment?"

"Yes sir." I smoothed my shirt and stood up straight. Dr. Shin stood behind me. Young Woo stood expectantly beside him.

"This young man here informs me that you and Mr. Park here are in a relationship. And it seems that his claim is true." He looked seriously at me. What did he want me to say? "As you should know, part of the goal of the intercampus program is to learn to interact with strangers, as you will in the real world." He said, emphasizing the word "real". "And, as you should know, relationships in the workplace do not often have happy endings. So I am currently considering exchanging your position with Park Mi Eun and making you Mr. Choi's partner." Jun Jin's face was etched in anger, Min Woo's fists were clenched as he glared at Young Woo, Dong Wan was frowning slightly, and Hye Sung's eyebrows had gone up in worry. Young Woo, on the other hand, bore no expression on his face as he simply stared straight ahead, away from me. I smiled and spoke.

"Sir, you are absolutely correct. I am currently in a relationship with Park Choong Jae, and relationships do not work well in the workplace. However, it is also true that two people who get along well are bound to work better together, is it not, sir?" Dr. Shin nodded once, carefully, as though he were searching for my point. I was aware that he knew full well what my point was. I continued, "In addition, Mr. Park here and I have known each other for less than two weeks. So if you are worried about our getting a head start on the first assignment, we really don't know that much about each other. Our relationship just began yesterday."

"But it would still be a bit unfair to the other students, you know, to have a partner that's also your boyfriend." Dr. Shin protested unwillingly, more as though he had to.

"Well, sir, considering that I've known Mr. Choi here since last year and his younger brother since before that, I would say that Mr. Choi isn't exactly the best choice." Dr. Shin had given up, and he wore a slight smile on his face. "Well, sir, if you'll excuse us, our group should really get started on our assignment." I bowed, and we all turned to leave. Dr. Shin didn't stop us. Young Woo caught up to us after a moment, and stood next to me. Dong Wan cleared his throat and moved closer to me, nudging Young Woo out of the way. He pretended not to notice and moved to another side. Hye Sung simply walked in and started to talk to Dong Wan, Min Woo, Jun Jin, and me. Young Woo shifted positions again, but Jun Jin put his hand on my shoulder and drew me close. He moved around again, and Min Woo sauntered up next to me and knocked into him, saying, "Excuse me, Young Woo. I've been really clumsy the past few days." Young Woo finally settled several steps to the right of me, and shot a look of venom across to Jun Jin… one that only I noticed. We all walked to a gorgeous spot- but not our favorite, "our" referring to Min Woo and I- on campus. It was a small hillock with several trees dotting the area. Despite my allergic aversion to grass, I loved sitting here. I was about to plop down when Jun Jin stopped me.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He remained silent, but took off his jacket and set it down in the grass. He bent down, smoothed it, and motioned for me to sit on it. "No, I won't sit on your jacket, Jun Jin."

"Why not? If you have allergies, it's not good for your body to be exposed to the allergen." He said seriously. My mouth dropped open.

"How did you know?"

"I saw how red your hands got after we rolled around in the leaves." He said. "Which were on the grass." He added after a moment. "You were trying so hard not to scratch in my car…"

"Jun Jin, it's all right. I'm wearing long pants."

"You were wearing long pants that day, too. Now, I wouldn't do this if I didn't like you, so sit down and be good." He patted my head. I laughed. I hesitated to sit down, and he plopped down and pulled me down onto his jacket. "There. Oh, and if you ever need to scratch, scratch. I won't mind. In fact, I'll help!" He held up his hands, his fingers curled. His long fingers ended in contrastingly very short nails, and he grinned. I broke out into laughter again. I intertwined my hands in his, and pushed him back a little. I then leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Guys? Can we get started now? When you're done flirting, that is." Dong Wan was grinning like an idiot. Min Woo slapped the back of his head.

"They don't have to flirt any longer, you idiot. Have you ever heard of anything called a re-la-tion-ship? See, flirting is for guys like you that could never engage themselves in one." I cleared my throat. Ms. Song Sun Kim stood behind Min Woo, looking as though she would burst of laughter.

"Hi, please sit down." I said politely, recovered from my fit of laughter. Everyone but she and Hye Sung had taken their seats, arranged in a fairly organized circle. I motioned to a spot between me and Dong Wan. She sat down next to me, and Hye Sung at an empty spot on Jun Jin's other side. I looked around. There were only three truly unfamiliar faces in the group. I introduced myself first. "Hi, everyone. I'm Lee Jeong Mi, very pleased to meet you." Min Woo cut in.

"She's very bossy."

"Less than him." I paused, than continued. Smiles had appeared on all of their faces. Except Young Woo's face; he retained a poker face that revealed naught but one thing- he was angry. "As you may have noticed, I like to be in charge, doesn't mean that you have to like it, just that I like things to go my way. But whenever you get sick of me talking, you can cut right in or slap me in the face or something." I finished, then grinned. Jun Jin slapped me lightly. I mock gasped, staring at him with a face as though I was about to break into fits of laughter (that, or kill him), and he grinned.

"I'm Park Jun Jin. Nice day, isn't it?" He laughed. "Umm… not much to say… This loud girl next to me- no, not that one, this one-" He pointed to me, while I pretended to look furious but failing miserably so that I looked somewhere between gigglishness and constipation. The girl named Song Sun Kim began to laugh. Jun Jin acknowledged and continued. "The loud one is my girlfriend, and if you have any trouble with her… Well, I can't do anything about that." He finished with a laugh.

"You're Miss Song, aren't you?" I turned to her with a genuine smile. She nodded, the laughter in her face lingering. "Would you do us the honor of introducing yourself? We could continue in this fashion so that a woman speaks, then her partner does, and she who spoke before can choose the woman to go next." They all nodded in somewhat willingness.

"All right." She said confidently. "I'm Song Sun Kim… I'm a woman that's not afraid to speak her mind, and I really like Miss Lee's confidence."

"Please. Call me Jeong Mi. I hate to be formal with people I hope will get to be my friends." Sun Kim flashed a lovely smile.

"Hey, I'm Shin Hye Sung. Nice to meet you." Dong Wan broke in.

"He enjoys looking at himself in the mirror."

"Shut up, you." Hye Sung said, laughing. "Anyways, I'm Shin Hye Sung. I look forward to getting to know all of you very well." He eyed Dong Wan, who was mimicking Hye Sung's lip movements in a very feminine way while pretending to look at himself in the mirror. He pointed to Dong Wan. "You're lucky that I'm too far away to hit you, Wannie." Dong Wan rolled his eyes.

Sun Kim motioned to a girl sitting next to Young Woo.

"Hi, I'm Choi Dal Rae. I'm completely lost as to how this school works, or simply where everything is, so please help me out." She smiled broadly.

"So you're Miss Choi. Nice to meet you... To everybody. I'm Lee Min Woo. Not much to say about me… But we'll get to know each other soon enough." He smiled a little.

"I'm Park Mi Eun. I can't wait to get started on this program with all of you people… I hope I won't annoy you all that much." She giggled.

"Choi Young Woo. I do sports. That's really all there is to say about me. And please don't be intimidated by my height. I won't hurt you." Jun Jin's face grew hard, and a shadow passed over his face. His eyes flickered for a moment, then regained their usual, unnatural deep calm.

"I'm Rho Eun Mi. Pleased to meet you all… I sound really conformist, don't I?" She laughed, a pretty sound. "Anyways… "Her face set into mimic of an old professor's face, her voice dropping down to a monotone. "Nice to meet you all. We're really going to have fun this year." The corners of her mouth lifted, then drooped back down. Sun Kim broke out laughing. My own laughter joined hers.

"My turn! Hi! I'm Kim Dong Wan! It'll be nice getting to know all of you. Don't let this perfect exterior fool you- I'm really smarter than I look! And… umm…" He screwed up his face as though deep in thought. "Oh, yeah! I learned today that two plus two is five!" He grinned, and everyone laughed.

"All right, now, we all know each other, right?" I said somberly. They all stared, not knowing what to say. "Yeah, me neither. Anyways, we're going to all get to know each other better over the year, so don't worry about it. Now, let's split off into our pairs and get to know each other on a one- to- one basis." If you don't know this campus or have don't have a partner that knows it, you can come ask anyone who does; most of them will be happy to help. Now, you all know your partners, right? Good luck!" I walked away with Jun Jin, and the other pairs walked off as well. Jun Jin slipped his hand in mine.

"Finally. I have you all to myself, without all those other eyes staring fixedly at you." I looked up at him.

"Funny… I don't know about the guys, but as I recall, all the girls were staring at you. That made me really jealous, you know." I smirked.

"Those girls? They're nothing. You are a cockroach in a field of flowers." I looked up at him amusedly. "That sounded weird. That's not what I meant. I meant… a flower in a field of cockroaches." I looked up again, with a look of uneasiness at the thought of standing with cockroaches. "I mean… Wait, I'm confused." He looked down at me perplexedly. "Let me try again. Thy beauty and strength is a pillar in my heart; never wavering, lending power to my soul." Cultural Note: This is an idiom used in the Kyungang Province of Korea where Jeong Mi is from, meaning that out of many, one stands out significantly. However, this is often used in a negative light.

"That was beautiful. Where's that from? I need to find a copy of that."

"Umm…" He stared down with a sheepish grin. "It's from one of my own poems."

"Are you serious? It sounded more like something from Shakespeare."

"Thank you." He blushed. "Well, we should really start to get to know each other, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded, noting his palms growing sweaty when I complimented his poem. I led him to my favorite spot on campus. It was a spot just in front of the library, with a cluster of three trees. It was always quiet here, and Min Woo and I would always come here to study. It was our mutual favorite spot. I shook Min Woo out of my head, and started to plop down, when Jun Jin stopped me again. He set down his jacket again. When I began to protest, he simply put his finger on my lips and sat down. I sat down on his jacket, and he smiled.

"This spot is beautiful." He simply said.

"It is. It's my favorite spot on campus."

"I can see why. It's nice and quiet here, too. But not eerie quiet. Simply tranquil." I nodded in agreement.

"So are you going to tell me now?"

"Tell you what?" He stared in surprise.

"About how you and Young Woo know each other." I said, lying down on my back. "By the way, you don't mind, do you?"

"No." He lay down on his back next to me. The same shadow passed again over his face. "I mean, no, I don't mind. I'll explain everything to you. You should know this." He paused, and sighed.

"Please share this with me. It's always easier to share the pain with someone close to you." He sighed again.

"I had a close friend in high school, and he really liked this girl, who happened to be Jung Chul's girlfriend. Young Woo somehow found out about this, and lured my friend to the park. Then, the brothers went to the park, dragging Jung Chul's girlfriend with them. Young Woo and Jung Chul started to beat up my friend… and forced his girlfriend to watch all of it while they beat her up, too. By the time the guys and I got there, my friend was dead, and we were barely able to save the girl. Last I heard, she moved to China. She's deaf now from the beatings they incurred on her. I just don't want that to happen to you."

"All the group was there?"

"Yeah." He nodded, closing his eyes.

"But Min Woo told me that he hadn't known that Young Woo was Jung Chul's brother."

"Well, he looked a lot different after he left jail. Young Woo did two years of hard time. Those years he keeps telling everyone that he spent in the army? Jail time." He shook his head. "They eventually convicted him of the murder of my friend, but he got out in two years with a little help from his father. The same way he got into this school. He looked really different… Even I didn't recognize him at first…" I inched closer to him and took his hand in my own. He squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back.

"But he didn't recognize you, either. And he only remembers Min Woo from school."

"That idiot couldn't remember his own name unless he was always getting it yelled at him, either by the teachers, his enemies, or the girls he's raping." Jun Jin spat bitterly. His expression softened as he turned onto his side towards me. He placed his head on his palm, his elbow lightly resting on the grass. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to speak like that to you. It's just that… after Kang Ta was murdered, I didn't know what to do. Min Woo was really close to him, too."

"He wasn't the only one." I said quietly. "Kang Ta was like another older brother to me, though I didn't know you and the rest of the guys at the time. He wasn't as close to me as Min Woo, but he was there whenever I was mad at Min Woo." I chuckled at the memory, then my lips tightened again. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? Those bastards should be sorry. Killing Kang Ta was bad enough, but trying to rape you is the last straw. I won't let them hurt you." He sat up suddenly. I followed him, and asked concernedly, "What is it?"

"Hello, ma'am. I'm Park Choong Jae, and you are…?" He grinned and winked. I began to laugh.

"I'm Lee Jeong Mi. Nice to meet you." I extended my hand, and he took and kissed it.

"Enchante, mademoiselle." He said, with a ridiculous French accent. I giggled.

"The pleasure is all mine, good sir."

"Well, milady- May I call you that?"

"Of course, sir." He wrinkled his nose.

"Now, if I call you milady, aren't I supposed to be 'milord'?" He looked reproachfully at me.

"Yes, milord. A little possessive, aren't we, Jun Jin?"

"Yes, ma'am, we are." I laughed harder.

"So, Jeong Mi," He switched back to his everyday tone, "We're supposed to get to know each other better. I'll start with a question." He paused. "When's your birthday?"

"November 30. Yours?"

"August 19. What's your favorite colour?"

"Red, black, and white. Blue is all right, and most colours are, but not pink. I hate pink." I stuck my tongue out and made a face. "Yours?"

"I like most colours, especially bright ones… and real men wear pink!" I gave him a look. "Not that it's my favorite colour…" He laughed. "Let's see… What do you weigh?"

"Can't we skip that question?"

"No." He stuck his tongue out.

"Fine." I took a deep breath. "140 pounds. You?"

"Same." I gawked, and he shrugged. "It comes from dancing."

"That just reminds me how fat I am."

"You are not! It's all muscle, see?" He poked my stomach.

"Jun Jin, stop! That tickles! Come on, next question!"

"All right, then… Have you ever had a secret crush on some one?"

"Aren't we getting a little too personal?"

"I just want to know this one, then we'll go back to all the standard questions before we move on to the more personal ones. Promise."

"Fine…" I sighed. "I used to have the biggest crushes-" He cut me off.

"Whoa, crushes? Plural? You mean you've loved more men than me?" He pouted.

"You're the one who asked. Besides, you missed the biggest points there."

"What?"

"Used to. Past tense."

"I'm sorry, love. Go on."

"I used to have to have the biggest crushes on… Min Woo and Kang Ta." I said quietly, blushing furiously.

"What? You did not."

"I did too. Used to, I mean." He laughed.

"What?"

"I mean, it's just so hard to picture you with them…"

"What?" I sputtered. "You're so mean!"

"Or anyone else but me." He finished. I stopped. He grinned, then continued. "All right, next question. Where were you born?"

"Wait, you haven't answered your own question… Who did you have a secret crush on?"

"Umm… Nam Jung Eun, in the seventh grade." He answered forwardly. "So where were you born?"

"Pusan. You?"

"Seoul. Big- city kid right here." He pointed to himself.

"Well, Pusan is considered 'country', yet it's the second largest city in Korea, you know."

"I know. He grinned. "All right. Now, how about… Favorite candy?"

"Anything with mint, really… or caramel. You?"

"Anything with mint… or dark chocolate. How about… favorite book?"

"I can never decide. You?"

"Me neither. Favorite flower?"

"Rose. You?"

"The little white flowers that come with the roses in the bouquets. Favorite drink?"

"Tea."

"What kind?"

"Any kind, really. Oolong tea is good."

"I like jasmine tea."

"How did you know I have muscle?" I asked quickly, before he could respond.

"What?" He stared, surprised.

"You said I have muscle."

"Well…" He said, shifting his eyes. "Promise you won't get angry?"

"Sure, why not? My curiosity will probably win over anyway."

"Well…" He began again. "Yesterday, when you were getting ready to go to my parents' house, I kind of saw… you… before you had put on your shirt…" My mouth dropped open. "But after you had put on your pants and your brassiere!" He finished quickly.

"I…" I let out a laugh, somewhere between relief and amazement. "Did you like what you saw?" Jun Jin froze, then his mouth slowly fell open. I reached forward and closed it for him. He finally unfroze and opened his mouth again- this time, to speak.

"Wait, what?" He gawked. "Did you just say what I think you said?" He wore a goofy grin on his face, as though he had been shocked beyond words. I nodded. He burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me? It doesn't matter whether you're pretty or fat or smart- actually, it does matter whether you're smart- but I don't care about your looks. But they do help, and I definitely liked what I saw. Definitely not flabby, but not too distinctive, either. After all, the guy's muscle has to stand out, doesn't it?" He flexed his arms. I giggled.

"So, what next… Your favorite sport!" I said.

"Hmm… Soccer. You?"

"Tae Kwon Do, and soccer. But Tae Kwon Do is infinitesimally better." We both laughed heartily.

"What hobbies do you have?"

"I do Tae Kwon Do, as you may know already; I sing, I dance, I read, watch movies, write stories and poems… and the list goes ever on. What about you?"

"Singing, dancing, reading, movies, and…" He hesitated. "Writing poetry." He mumbled.

"What? I really didn't catch the last bit."

"I… write poetry." He said louder.

"And why are you ashamed of it? Your poetry is beautiful. I'm surprised you haven't become famous yet." I said earnestly.

"Thank you." He said simply.

We spent another half hour talking about ourselves. Then I headed toward class- according to Dr. Shin's long speech, I was supposed to attend class regularly, and Jun Jin was supposed to accompany me; if there were any without partners that attended this school, they were to tag along with another pair.

"Jeong Mi!" I heard faintly. I stopped Jun Jin, and turned around. Two figures were walking towards us.

"That looks like Hye Sung and his partner, the pretty girl." Jun Jin said, smirking. I punched him in the arm lightly.

"I thought you said looks didn't matter."

"They don't. But I still find you a mile more beautiful than her. Don't worry." We walked towards them.

"Hey, Jeong Mi." The two chorused at once. They turned towards each other and laughed; apparently, they hadn't meant to speak in unison.

"Can we tag along with you in your classes? As you know, neither of us go here. And when we remembered that we should tag along with someone, Sun Kim immediately suggested you."

"Well, thank you. Come on, my class is this way." I led them to my chemistry classroom. Today was going to be solely a lecture day, to accommodate the visitors. I sat down in the classroom, one of the smaller ones on campus; few people could handle the class, so few took it. There were only six others in the class, and with the addition of my three guests and another classmate's partner, the classroom became full.

They all followed me to my classes faithfully, not complaining, but Hye Sung giving a low whistle every now and again. Then, my morning classes were over, and we trooped back to the field to meet up with the rest of the group (as I our friends, not the program group, although I noticed that Sun Kim followed us, for Dong Wan, no doubt) for lunch.

"Hey, guys! Let's go eat."

"Yeah, where do you want to go?" I smiled.

"Are you buying?" Dong Wan cocked an eyebrow.

"What are you on?" I punched him in the arm.

"Let's go to that one restaurant we went to last week." Hye Sung suggested. "Although seeing how much Min Woo ate, I don't know if they'll let us back in." Hye Sung laughed at his own joke, then yelped as he was given a swift kick by Min Woo.

"Sun Kim, I hope you don't mind that some of these guys are idiots." I laughed.

"No, of course not. I'm having fun."

"Well, I'm glad. I hope you'll make yourself more comfortable among us."

"Thank you."

"Well, let's try sneaking away to lunch, and see if the guys will notice, eh?" She nodded, and we began to walk quietly away. Jun Jin noticed first and disentangled himself from the pile of limbs that had ensued from Min Woo's "uncalled for" attack on Hye Sung, as the victim put it. The tall, lanky figure of the dancer chased us down, and grabbed my shoulders.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Jun Jin cried.

"You're right, unless you're more quiet; the other guys might hear."

"Right." He whispered. But it was too late; Hye Sung had come up behind us, and tried to tackle Jun Jin, but was impeded by Min Woo, who had jumped up onto Jun Jin's back, legs flailing.

"Shorty." Jun Jin scoffed and shrugged him off. Sun Kim was laughing her insides out; I had joined the fight and plunged my arms around Min Woo's waist.

"No, get off! Jeong Mi!" His face had grown red. I removed my hands, and started to laugh.

"All right, let's go eat." We agreed to meet up at the restaurant we had enjoyed lunch at on our group outing the week before. Since Dong Wan and Hye Sung had not driven to the school, we had to divvy ourselves up amongst Jun Jin's car, Min Woo's car, and Sun Kim's car. I decided to ride with Min Woo to the restaurant ("But what about me?" Jun Jin had said, with pouty, full lips), Hye Sung would ride with Jun Jin, and Dong Wan would ride with Sun Kim ("As a man, you're supposed to escort the woman, Dong Wan!" Jun Jin had teased; apparently, he wasn't really pouting).

I got into Min Woo's familiar Hyundai. I closed the door and waited while he fought off Jun Jin's attempts to drag me off (although Jun Jin seemed on the verge of bursting into laughter from the sheer absurdity of the idea; apparently, I wasn't the only one that thought so). Min Woo got in the driver's side, panting.

"That boyfriend of yours wants to make sure that I won't drag you off and make you happier than you already are. Do you think that you'll be happier with me than with Jun Jin?" He asked me, still panting.

"Maybe. Do you think that'll make him a little jealous?" I laughed.

"Yeah." He grinned. What I failed to notice was that his smile, that beautiful smile I had grown up watching slowly spread across that handsome face, that lovely smile so warm as ever, failed to reach his eyes.

Min Woo turned to me as he drove. "Aren't you going to tell me how he asked?"

"What? Who asked what?" I stared, bemused. Min Woo laughed.

"How Jun Jin asked you to be his girlfriend." His eyes quickly flicked back toward the road. So I explained everything from after Jun Jin had gone home… Almost everything. I conveniently forgot about my conversation with Hye Sung on the topic. Min Woo nodded and smiled, laughing and interjecting the proper comments at the right time. But he never did look at me.

We arrived at the restaurant a good ten minutes earlier than the rest of the group. Min Woo had come by way of a shortcut that was familiar to the two of us, but rarely used by anyone else. We sat there for a while, and I decided to speak… about something that had been plaguing my mind since Jun Jin had slept over at my house.

"Min Woo…?"

"What is it?" He turned to me.

"When are you going to find yourself a girlfriend?" I stared stolidly at him. He simply smiled.

"I'm serious. I've known you for over ten years, but you've never had a girlfriend. When are you going to get one? I mean, is it because the right girl hasn't come along yet, or is it because you've been too preoccupied with taking care of me… or what?" I said, becoming increasingly frustrated.

"I'm content with staying by your side." He said rather ambiguously… But I now knew what he meant. I turned toward him.

"Would you like to know something?"

"What?" He said. I leaned in close.

"You're good enough for anyone… and I'm the one that doesn't deserve a guy like you." I whispered in his ear. I then left the car and stood under a little tree, its golden leaves hanging over my head.

"Jeong Mi!" Min Woo said, as he got out of his car and walked towards me. "What do you mean by that?" His eyes reflected a deep fire of… sadness? Of anger? I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that I felt a deep stab of pain in my heart… Then I realized it was not my own heart that was wounded; it was his.

"I just mean…" I took a deep breath. "I just mean that no one is too good for you, and that you don't have to waste your time cleaning up after me anymore. I don't deserve it." I said, with a touch of bitterness at myself, the poor soul without enough courage to speak through her heart. Min Woo, however, came and embraced me.

"You want to know something, too?"

"What is it?"

"You're more worthy than anyone in the world… and I will always be by your side."

"Min Woo! I leave you alone with my girlfriend for what, twenty minutes, and I find you hugging her? What is the world coming to?" Jun Jin cried as he walked toward us, a giant grin covering that beautiful face. Min Woo was slow to let me go, but he did, in the end- when Jun Jin had finally reached us. He gave me a quick embrace, then punched Min Woo lightly on the arm.

"Hey, you know I was just joking, right?"

"Yeah." Min Woo shrugged and laughed it off. We stood there for a while, waiting for Dong Wan and Sun Kim.

"Dude, Dong Wan's become so much more polite since this morning." Hye Sung grinned. "I don't think I've ever seen him that nice." We all shared a laugh, then grimaced as Dong Wan delivered a smooth slap to the back of Hye Sung's head as he walked, with Sun Kim's arm lightly resting on his. Her face was red, which allowed us to infer that it had been Dong Wan's idea to position themselves this way. We all laughed heartily, and walked in, but our laughter was halted when we saw the young man at the counter, waiting for his food. The tall visage had become familiar to me my first year in college, but familiarized again today. It was a profile that brought shudders to my very soul when I thought above Kang Ta and myself- the profile of Choi Young Woo. He turned around, hearing all of us come in.

"Well!" He said, sounding surprised, "Look who it is! My friends!" He stretched his hands wide, as though he were in some puppet show, with the grinning marionette controlled by invisible strings. I desperately wanted the curtain to fall now. Jun Jin moved slightly so that he stood between Young Woo and me.

"Miss, I'll be sitting with these fine people today. Will you bring my lunch over to their table?"

"Actually, Mr. Choi," Dong Wan's clear, unwavering voice interrupted the saccharine one in its monologue. "We were going to order our food, then take it elsewhere to eat." Dong Wan emphasized the word 'elsewhere'.

"Well, that's a shame. Perhaps you'll join me for lunch next time."

"Next time, perhaps." Dong Wan agreed. We turned toward the waitress and ordered our food, all of us cheerily talking in a mood that did not reflect the light in our eyes.

"Well, since you've time now, please sit down. I feel the need for some company." Young Woo said with a grin. I was reminded of the marionette again, forever aware of it, and forever dreading that it would turn out that the invisible strings that controlled it did not exist at all; that the puppet had not been a puppet after all. We all silently obliged. Young Woo grabbed my arm and sat me down next to him forcefully.

"Young Woo, you're hurting me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, love." He said, grinning into my face.

"What's gotten into you?"

"What?" He smirked. "A guy can't even sit next to his ex- girlfriend?"

"What," I glared, "the hell have you been smoking?" Jun Jin stood up abruptly from next to me.

"Your food is here." The waitress walked up. Min Woo and Dong Wan grabbed the food, and Hye Sung ushered Jun Jin and me out, with Sun Kim walking away quickly by my side. Jun Jin was turning around to face Young Woo.

"Jun Jin, please. Let's walk away this time. I don't want to lose you." I murmured out of the corner of my mouth. I knew that I wouldn't have to include Kang Ta's name for Jun Jin to walk away with me. I gripped his hand tightly as we walked out, away from Young Woo, together.


	4. Chapter 4

4

It had now been one month since I had become Jun Jin's girlfriend. We hadn't really progressed much from there, but we had hardly been stagnant; although we were both busy with schoolwork- more so as the school year went ever on- we made time to see each other regularly. Dong Wan and Sun Kim were happily seeing each other; Dong Wan had asked her to be his girlfriend two weeks after they had met. Sun Kim and I grew ever closer, as Dong Wan rarely came to our group outings without her.

Autumn had now truly begun to show its beautiful colors in the world around us. The leaves had graduated from their summer green to yellow, then to the type of orange that makes you really think about the season, then to the deep red characteristic of the now dying leaves. It was in the midst of this season that Jun Jin began to change his behavior towards me slightly. I had, however, agreed to meet him in the park for a brief outing, and of course, went.

"Hey, Jun Jin." I walked up to my boyfriend with a smile, leaning in for a peck on the cheek. Dong Wan and Hye Sung were frustrated that we hadn't moved on to kisses on the mouth, blaming Jun Jin for covering up his cowardly interior with a seemingly romantic exterior. Andy and Eric, however, were frustrated not only that we had not moved on to "true kisses", but something more. These comments earned each of them a kick in the buttocks and a punch in the stomach, specially delivered by both Jun Jin and I.

"Hey." He simply said, and kissed me back.

"What have you been doing recently? I always see you with your laptop, and when I come by, you close it."

"It's nothing." He said shortly.

"Well, I'll tell you this- if you're looking at pictures of other women, I'll be jealous, but nothing more."

"Why?" His humorous expression twisted into a bemused one.

"Because I know that I'm the only one you'll ever really do anything with, right?"

"Of course." He said without hesitation.

"But… if you're talking to other women, I'll have to… steal your computer!" I seized it and ran.

"It's nothing! Jeong Mi!" He chased after me, obviously happy for the attention. His handsome face gleamed in the autumn sun. He chased me down the hill, tackling me with two arms and causing us to both roll over harmlessly down the slight incline.

"Hey! That's not fair!"

"What isn't?" He cocked his head at me from his position on the floor- he lay on his side, with his head twisted down to look at me, still in his strong grasp.

"You're bigger than I am. You can't use two arms like that!" I crinkled my nose. I wrestled with him, and thus gained an advantage over him. I sat on his stomach, pinning him to the ground by his arms. He then sat up, making me fall over. He became startled, his clear eyes reflecting true worry. I began to laugh, however, and he sat back, reassured.

After a while of simply sitting there and laughing, he helped me get up.

"Here. I have a surprise for you."

What is it?"

"Well, I have to take you there, silly." He explained as though it were only natural.

We went to his car, and got in. By this time, I had become more familiar with this car than my own, which I seldom drove. I either walked, or Jun Jin drove me. Gone now were the days that Min Woo drove me in his soft comfort- despite our promise, we had only grown apart. But I had little time to contemplate this change in our relationship; between Jun Jin, my studies, going out with the guys- and did I mention Jun Jin?- I had little time to think about much else.

Jun Jin drove smoothly out onto the road, turning towards his house, but he stopped and turned again, driving onto a small street. He turned into a parking lot in front of a building, fairly large, with a sign that read, "Tae Ho Tae Kwon Do." :side note- Tae Ho is roughly "brilliant tiger". Brilliant as in shining, not as in smart. Apparently, you can be stupid and be shining.: Jun Jin grabbed my hand as soon as we got out of the car, and dragged me in.

A middle- aged man sat at a desk in a corner office. He wore the proud uniform of a martial artist, carrying his stature perfectly straight. My back automatically bent into a bow.

"Hello, sir." Jun Jin and I chorused in union. The man looked up. His piercing eyes bore into me, reading my soul.

"Hello. Come in, come in." He stood and motioned for us to enter. We sat down opposite him, as I tried to inconspicuously poke Jun Jin to find out what was going on.

"So, Jun Jin, this is your girlfriend."

"Yes, sir."

"Neither he nor Hye Sung have been able to stop talking about you."

"Sir?" I questioned.

"Ah, Jun Jin, you clod! You were supposed to explain to her before she came!" The master laughed, a rich sound that filled the room, but not making the atmosphere uncomfortable. I immediately felt more relaxed.

"Well," He introduced himself. "I am Master Do. And no, my first name is not Tae Kwon. Anyways, this is my dojang. You see, Hye Sung is one of my students- one of the senior black belts here, actually. He and Jun Jin came up to me last week to tell me about some one they knew that was a black belt, but had not been attending for two years. They went on to explain that they would like to enroll her in our school." He stared at me.

"I was completely unaware of this, sir." This caused the master to laugh.

"Of course! I can tell by your expression." He chuckled. "So would you like to enroll?"

"I would love to sir, but…"

"All payment has already been taken care of by this young gentleman here." Jun Jin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"No, sir, it isn't a matter of payment, but rather one of time."

"I have also contacted your school to allow for you to take the class during your physical education period. This is what Hye Sung is also doing, and since there are quite a few college students are doing this as well, we have arranged a special class for you and your peers at around the same time. I hope you will please consider this offer."

"Thank you very much!" I could not help but grin- my mouth had been gradually falling further and further open in shock as the words came out of the master's mouth. I was to start Tae Kwon Do again!

"So we will see you in class starting… Perhaps next week?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Jun Jin and I got up to leave.

"Oh, and Jun Jin?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Keep a good hold of this one. She's a good one."

We bowed and exited, with my trying to keep my excitement contained but failing miserably as soon as we walked out the double doors.

"Yes!" I jumped up into the air and shouted in ecstasy. I hugged Jun Jin, taking him by surprise, but I could simply feel that grin spreading across his face.

"You butt." I pulled away and slapped him on the shoulder.

"What? Oww…" He complained. I hugged him again.

"I don't need you to pay for it, Jin…"

"But I want to. You've made me so much happier, did you know that? This is really the least I could do. And Hye Sung pitched in, too."

"But still. But remind me to thank Hye Sung, later, too. You know, I've become happier, too."

"But you've done more for me." He said, as we got back into the car. "I actually haven't told anyone about this, and no one knows, Jeong Mi." He said, with an austere expression.

"What?" I said, immediately concerned. Something was wrong.

"Look." He simply said and pulled up his right sleeve. Thin, red lines adorned his powerful arm. The cuts had been much deeper before, I could tell. But there were no new ones that adorned this arm that had embraced me so much, that had pulled me in to comfort me on the autumn days and lonely nights, that had hugged me close to let me know that he was there. They had been the same ones that had decorated mine in my high school years. Mine had long since faded, but his were ever present.

"Oh, Jun Jin…" I felt my tears fall onto the healing lines as I bent down to kiss them. He pulled me in once again, and I felt his tears on my cheek.

"Jeong Mi, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, Jun Jin, it's fine… I'm not upset; I just don't know why I can't control my stupid tears." I pulled away gently. "I just want you to know that you're not alone." I pulled up my own sleeve.

"Mine are gone now, but before I started college, mine looked like yours. I just don't want you to ever hurt yourself again, because I'm here for you, and I always will be." He hugged me again, and we both just sat there for a while in each others' embrace.

He drove me home after that. I invited him to stay over for the night, and he obliged. We had grown more comfortable in each others' presence. We had grown closer than anyone knew, even Min Woo. Although the rest of the group were disappointed that we had not grown physically closer, this was not the case; whenever we slept over at each others' houses, as we did often, we slept in the same bed. This was through mutual consent, as we trusted each other, and more or less, ourselves, to control our hormones. We also had an unspoken pact not to sleep together, until- that is, if- we got married.

Since he slept over so often, he also left many of his things over at my house. Min Woo's things were still here, but he rarely came over now, so Jun Jin's things primarily occupied what had previously been called "Min Woo's room".

I changed out of my school clothes into a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt. Jun Jin did likewise and donned his school sweatshirt and a pair of comfortable pants. As I walked back into my living room, Jun Jin approached me. He naturally put his arm around my shoulder and steered me to the couch. We sat down, his arm still around me.

"Jeong Mi?"

"What is it, Jun Jin?"

"How come you won't take me to meet your parents yet?" He asked, in a mockingly hurt voice. He stared down, the corners of his lips twitching as he threatened to explode into laughter. But I could tell that he had been wanting to ask me this for a long time; his eyes told me so.

"I'm sorry. I know I haven't mentioned my family yet. It's because I wanted to get you back for surprising me with a trip to your parents." He raised an eyebrow. "And plus," I continued, "My parents are a little bit more lax about who I go out with, as long as they're smarter and stronger than I am." I grinned.

"Oh." He said, taken aback but still overflowing with laughter. "But you've met with my parents loads." He said, pouting, cocking his head like a little puppy. I stroked and patted his head.

"Tell you what, I've been wanting to show you off since I met you, so how about this- since tomorrow's Saturday, why don't we go to their house? We can drive down in the afternoon, spend a couple hours with them, and come back up. How's that sound?"

"That sounds awesome. But I'm scared now."

"Why?"

"I'm scared that your parents might not find me smart or strong enough to have you."

"God, Jun Jin, I honestly can't think of anyone more qualified. You attend your school on a full scholarship, you take the most rigorous classes your school offers… And have you looked in the mirror recently? I mean, with your shirt off? You are one of the most muscular men I know. And I'm proud to be your girlfriend." I stared up at him, curled up into a ball in his protective arms.

"Thanks." He grinned. I kissed him on the cheek, and he smiled. "Come on, let's go to bed." He lifted me up as a man does when carrying his wife through the door on the first day of their honeymoon. I giggled, blushing red.

"Wow. We know who's ready to get married, don't we?" I teased.

"Actually, with you, I think, yeah. Anything is possible, and I look forward to waking up every day for the rest of our lives next to you." He said as he gently set me down onto the bed. I found my heart aching with the love I felt for him when he said this. For him, it was simply an unconditional thing, where he knew he loved me (which, by the way, he hadn't told me yet), and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. For me, it was not nearly as obvious, but I knew that his feelings were returned. Without saying anything, I laced myself into his arms and fell asleep there. He knew what I meant.

_The world was coming to an end._

_It wasn't something that came out of some science fiction novel or some bad rendition of a movie. It was real, predicated solely on fact, fact that everyone in the world now knew. And tomorrow was the last day- at midnight tomorrow night, the radioactive rays of the sun would pierce through the ozone killing, everyone and everything on Earth._

_It was midnight. Jun Jin lay peacefully next to me, in the warm bed. Funny how you can feel that before you die- the warmth of a bed, I mean. But I could tell that he wasn't asleep- he was just as awake as I was. I pulled closer to him and snuggled my face against his chest._

"_Couldn't sleep either, huh?"_

"_Yeah." I laughed, then stopped. My laughter sounded odd, even as Jun Jin's voice joined in. His arms embraced me, in a protective gesture. I felt the beating of his heart, faster than normal but strong as ever. My heart slowed down to match his, to beat in sync, for what we knew to be one of our last times. _

"_If you could have one thing right now, what would it be?" I asked quietly._

"_Right now? It would be…I guess… Now, don't take this the wrong way."_

"_It's a little late to take things the wrong way, don't you think? A little unreasonable." I stated, not quite a question._

"_Well, it would be to have sex with you." He said, looking into my eyes. He wanted to see what I thought, I knew it. _

"_Why?" I asked, barely controlling the movement of my eyebrows. How could I not take it the wrong way?_

"_Because… Sex is a ceremony of sorts, one that declares two people as one, and unifies them as such. There's no one I can think of that I would like to be one with more than you." Jun Jin said, his eyes still boring into my very heart and soul._

"_But," He continued, "I wouldn't like to."_

"_And why's that?"_

"_Because if we both have absolutely pure souls, we can find in each other in heaven that much more quickly and be united again." Both our hearts relaxed upon his saying this, and we fell quietly asleep._

_I awoke the next morning, the covers as well as Jun Jin's arms carefully draped around me. Jun Jin was already up, studying me with careful eyes. They were filled with an emotion I had never seen before in him, but had felt myself. A feeling that although you would never be happy again, this moment would be the happiest moment not only in your life, but in the history of man. He hugged me closer, as if trying to warm me. I knew that this was not so, not in the physical sense, at least. At length, we got up. We washed, dressed in the clothes we liked best on each other. I dressed in a deep red blouse and long, black ankle length skirt. Jun Jin dressed in a white long sleeved shirt, a pair of black pants, and a grey button shirt. _

"_Where do you want to go?"_

"_Do you remember where you asked me to be your girlfriend and you proposed to me?"_

"_Of course. Here. Dress warm; it's cold out." He put my leather jacket around my shoulders; it hung to below my waist, as always._

_We drove in Jun Jin's Audi to the secluded spot. The autumn leaves were falling. Did they know that they too would die with the coming winter? Yet our winter was to be one of blazing sun…_

_We sat there, beneath the tree as we had many, many times. My head against his shoulder, his arm entwined in mine. Our hands grasping each other. _

"_Jeong Mi?"_

"_Yeah, Jun Jin, what is it?" Jun Jin held up two golden wedding bands and placed one carefully in my palm. I took it, not feeling the ring in my hand at all, only the slight pressure his hand gave mine. _

"_Will you take me, Park Choong Jae, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"_

"_I do." He slipped the ring onto my finger. "And will you take me, Lee Jeong Mi, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"_

"_I do." I slipped the ring onto his finger._

"_Then I now pronounce us," He whispered, "Man and wife."_

_We walked to the building they had assigned our neighborhood to; this was to stop the flow of inevitable mass panic when the radioactive rays struck the Earth. We lingered outside, trying to delay, if only in our minds, what was going to happen. Min Woo stood at the doorway, waiting for the two of us. He waved at us, telling us to come in, that the doors would be sealed off soon. There was a woman playing with her four year old daughter; those already in the building had tried to get them inside many, many times, but she had refused._

"_My daughter said that she wanted to play." She explained. So they played in the dirt, in the grass, in the leaves._

_We walked in at last, and the doors were sealed behind us. And we waited. At last, we could hear a deep rumbling. We knew it was coming. The rumbling grew louder, louder, louder, and we saw a small, bright speck appearing above us, in the ceiling. Jun Jin held me close, whispering a song, the song that he had played in his car on our first date. The speck became larger and larger, and suddenly a beam burst forth, headed for Jun Jin and I. Min Woo plunged forward, however, and was hit instead; he looked up once at me, smiled, and crumpled to the ground. I felt one tear fall on my face, and Jun Jin's warm breath and powerful embrace._

I awoke in a cold sweat, still in Jun Jin's arms. I felt his reassuring, but still sleeping form around me, but still felt my heart beating ever so quickly. The details of the dream were running out of my head so quickly… but some remained so vivid in my head, like flashes of an unwritten poem. My clouded mind, sharpened from the dream, was returning to its stupor… With Jun Jin's warm breath at my face, my drowsiness overcame me, and I fell back to sleep.

Jun Jin was sitting up. It was now three o' clock, only two hours after I had awoken from my dream. He sat with his back to me, his head bent down.

"Jun Jin?" I sat up, reaching towards him. He seemed not to hear me; I pulled towards him and placed my hand gently on his shoulder. He was crying.

"Oh, I'm sorry; did I wake you?" He asked, quickly wiping away the tears with the back of his hand.

"No, you didn't, Jun Jin." I squeezed his shoulder and settled myself beside him and pulled his hand into my lap and held it there. "What is it? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Kind of." He admitted sheepishly. Tears still spilled from his eyes. "It's just… this on top of everything else, and I guess I just cracked." He looked down and studied the patterns on his palm eagerly.

"Don't be ashamed. You know I'm here for you." He raised his head. "Listen, why don't we go to the kitchen, I'll make you a nice, warm cup of cocoa, and you can tell me about the dream, what's been going on, whatever. Come on." I stood up and headed out. I poured some milk into a pan and took out two mugs. I sat down and waited for the milk to heat, as Jun Jin came out and sat next to me. His eyes were a little less red now, I noticed. I stood up and put my arms around his neck, leaning my head against his chest. He put his arms around my waist and his chin on my head.

"So are you going to let yourself go through your troubles alone, or are you going to let me share the burden with you?" I asked after some time.

"All right." He finally said, and sat down. I did the same, and stared patiently into his eyes.

"Well, you see… It's all very complicated and hard to explain."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere, unless you are." I smiled encouragingly.

"All right, then. I'll start with my dream. See, you and I were in the dream; all of us in the group were in the dream. And… well basically, someone, I don't know who, went and… killed you." I felt my blood run cold. "The guys were all at your funeral, and then Kang Ta came and talked to me in the dream. He told me to take good care of you, and to be careful. That this dream was a warning of what might happen to you if I didn't." He buried his face in his hands, not crying again, but obviously very much strained. I hugged him close.

"Jun Jin, it'll be okay. Think of it this way- Kang Ta gave us a warning to be careful. And so we will. I would rather not be six feet under, and I don't think you want it either, so just don't get upset by it; Kang Ta means us well, and he's still watching over all of us. I won't drop dead soon, Jun Jin. Don't worry." I stood up to make pour the cocoa. I brought Jun Jin a mug and began to sip quietly at mine.

"So, now… Tell me what's been going on."

"Well, it's not that I hate to be getting closer to you, but… My parents." He sighed, and shrugged as though he didn't care. His eyes reflected otherwise, though. "My parents told me when I was sixteen that they would get divorced as soon as I fixed myself in a stable relationship with a good woman. They've been looking to grow apart for years, but they stayed together for me. So I could get married and all. And I've known about this for years, so I don't know why I'm reacting like this. But I'm just so confused because I really, really like you, but I don't want my parents to get divorced. That, on top of stress from school, stress from people, you know. It's been wearing me down. You're really all I have to look forward to, lately." He paused. "I want to thank you."

"What for?"

"For sticking by this pathetic being named Park Choong Jae." He said bitterly.

"Jun Jin!"

"What? It's true. My life is a mess. I've let it become a mess."

"No, you haven't, Choong Jae. Your life may not be at its best right now, but we can pull it through. Together. And remember- you have me on your side, my heart beating right there with yours. So, now, I want you to be there for me. Help me to help you pull you through this. We can do it, Jun Jin."

We sat down, without another word, and drank our cocoa with some biscotti I brought out. After we had had our little snack, we went back to bed. As I was drifting off to sleep, I heard Jun Jin whisper.

"Jeong Mi, I know you can't hear me right now… Maybe it's better that way, because I still don't have the courage to say this to you to your face, looking you in the eyes. You have no clue how afraid I am everyday, because I want that day with you to work out well. Am I doing well so far? I would like to know… But sometimes I think you're just here with me because you pity me. I really hope you aren't." He swallowed. "I love you, Jeong Mi. I hope you know that, and I really hope I'll be able to work up the courage to tell you this outright someday. I love you." He then pulled himself closer to me and put his arms around me.

I awoke the next morning and looked at the clock. It read a little past eight, the small brass hands ticking idly away. I pulled closer into Jun Jin's warm embrace, putting one arm around his back and the other on his chest. He let out a little moan, still asleep, pulled me closer. I gazed at his face, his eyebrows, slightly furrowed, his lips slightly open. I brushed my fingers lightly against them.

"Jun Jin, please don't feel nervous or insecure around me. It's just that… I feel so comfortable around you, and I would hope that you did, too. You're doing a great job of making me happy and loving me; I can feel your love emanating from your heart as you talk to me, look at me, embrace me. And I don't pity you; I want to be there for you because you need me now, and I'm here for you because…" I took a gulp of air and paused. "Because I love you. I love you, Jun Jin, and I always will."

Was that momentary freeze I had felt from him just a part of my imagination? It must have been; he was sound asleep. Perhaps I had wanted so badly for him to hear it that I had predetermined in my mind that he had. I snuggled out of his arms to go and make Jun Jin a nice breakfast. I gathered up a sweater to wear before I headed out to the kitchen and started cooking; Jun Jin's body was actually a lot warmer than it looked. By the time I had finally thawed out my fingers and cooked everything, it was nine o' clock. I went back in to wake Jun Jin, still sleeping like an angel. I sat at his side and stared at him for a while. I longed to run my fingers through his long, soft hair. I gave in to the urge and tentatively placed my hand on his head. He stirred a bit, but not too much. I softly ran my hand along his hair, taking care not to hurt him. I smiled to myself, then lowered my hand to his shoulder.

"Jun Jin." He stirred again. "Jun Jin, love, wake up now…" Jun Jin opened one eye. He then closed it again and proceeded to throw his arm against me to pull me down next to him. After a brief tussle that resulted in the blanket falling on the floor and Jun Jin falling on top of me, Jun Jin kissed my nose.

"Good morning."

"Hello!" I replied, giggling. "We do seem to end up in this position very often, don't we?"

"Yes, ma'am. We do." He stated, keeping a strict face. "And we also seem to do this very often." He said, still with the face, but with his fingers reaching out to tickle my sides again.

After several minutes of resisting the tickling, I finally gave in and collapsed into his arms. Finally pleased, Jun Jin kissed me on my forehead and got up.

"I'll make breakfast. You fought a good fight," He smiled and reached over to touch my cheek. "So you can go ahead and sleep a little more. I know you didn't get much sleep last night because of me."

"No, Jun Jin… I'll cook. You didn't sleep, either."

"Jeong Mi, sit down. Is it because you don't like my cooking?" He asked, tears forming in his eyes. They seemed real enough…

"Ohh… Jun Jin…" I looked up at his pouty face. I put my arms around his neck and looked into his tear- brimmed eyes. "I love your cooking, baby, it's just that I don't want you to be too tired for my mummy and daddy." He looked up, his face screwed up in deep thought. He then picked me up despite my outbursts and complaints, placed me on the bed, and tucked me in. He rushed off to make breakfast while I stared, dumbfounded.

I lay there in my warm bed, thinking about Jun Jin, our relationship, and what he had said to me the night before. I so desperately wanted to be his in every sense of the phrase- to be by his side, to wake up every morning to that soft smile that played on his lips every time we slept over at each others' house, to have his arms around me as we sat beneath a tree, to experience the rest of our lives together. If it would make his parents get a divorce and consequently make him unhappy, I could never do it. I wouldn't do it. I forced myself out of bed and began to make my way to the now- warm kitchen. It would hurt me and him, but it would be better than having his parents get a divorce because of it. I froze at the doorway of the bedroom, however. Our bedroom, now. Wouldn't this hurt him as well? To leave him? He said had said that he loved me, if not to meant for my face. And wouldn't he find another girl that would make his parents get divorced anyways, and wouldn't that hurt me every time I saw him pass by me in the street or in a shop or anywhere with her? But perhaps that woman he would meet would make him so happy that he wouldn't be heartbroken over his parents. Yes, that was it. Jun Jin would be better off with a girl that would make him happier than I would. I forced my knees to firm up and my legs to start walking. The image of his back, with the apron knot tied neatly on his lower back, with his hair tied back into a short ponytail and his clothes a bit loose, burned itself into my memory. But couldn't I make him every bit as happy as that girl he would meet? I wanted to collapse again, but I knew what I had to do. For him.

"Jeong Mi? Are you all right?" Jun Jin turned around and asked, rushing towards me, his face thrust into worry. I looked around and found that I _had_ collapsed, my arms cast listlessly down onto the floor in my kneeling position.

"Jun Jin… I'm sorry." I found a solitary tear sliding down my cheek. But this was all wrong- in my dream, this tear had been meant for Min Woo… Was I doing something wrong? I was crying again, I didn't want to cry, I didn't want to hurt him, or me, but it had to be done… I was so hopelessly lost in my own head! I could barely hear my own voice hoarsely whispering. "Jun Jin…"

"What is it, Jeong Mi?" He was bent down near my face, embracing me.

"We… We have to break up." To my surprise, he began to laugh.

"Have you gone mad? You make me fall head over heels for you, and you say this now? You can't be serious."

"I am, Jun Jin. I don't want you to be heartbroken over the divorce of your parents because of your relationship with me."

"So, what?" He was staring down at me with an almost contemptuous face, but with his eyes belying his fear and worry. What had I done? Something that needed to be done. If he was angry at me, perhaps he would find it easier to get rid of me…

"So what?" He repeated as he sat down next to me. "You leave me and that's it? We say goodbye and never see each other again, at least not in the sense that we've been seeing each other, and I'm supposed to be able to endure the heartbreak of that, and not of my parents' divorce? I knew this was coming for a long time, Jeong Mi. It's been almost ten years since they told me. You think that I would be so heartbroken that I would be unhappy with you? Jeong Mi, I love you. I care more about being with you than my parents' divorcing. Believe it or not, that's their life. My life is my own, not my parents', and now, part of that life is you." He paused for breath while I waited in shocked silence. I knew he loved me, but he declared his love so frankly, and he had been afraid to do so just last night!

"And do you think I'll ever find another girl just like you, Jeong Mi? Someone who makes me happy just by existing? I never will. I've never been this happy in my life, Jeong Mi. Don't rain on my parade." He grabbed me and embraced me on the cold hardwood floor. "Don't ever, ever, ever scare me like that again, Jeong Mi. You know I love you. I couldn't live without you."

"I love you, too, Choong Jae. I just want whatever's best for you."

"Then stay with me forever, and let me live by your side. Let me make you happy." We stayed like that for another five minutes, without a word. Suddenly, I sneezed, and Jun Jin stood up abruptly. He held out his hand to help me up.

"I forgot how cold this floor was. Here. We'll have to get ready soon so that we can drive down to your parents' house."

After we ate and showered, we decided to wear the same things we had worn when we had gone to see Jun Jin's parents.

"After all, we won them over in them, we could win yours over, too!" Jun Jin grinned. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

I saw Jun Jin came into me room with his suit on and his tie in his hands through my mirror. He looked so handsome...

He was wrapping his hand with the tie, then unwrapping it, moving his hand around and around the other hand, then moving it the other way when he reached the end of the line. It was a ritual I had only seen a few times, and that at times when he was very nervous. This was what he had done when I first slept over at his house, and the time he was in some prestigious worldwide academic competition. He and I had been on the South Korean team, and we took home the silver medal. He had done it then as well. He was nervous again. I turned around, pausing as I brushed my hair. He came up behind me and turned me back around. Silently, he turned my body back around and took the brush from my hands. He gently began to brush my hair, murmuring the words to some meandering song. He held my hair in his hands as he tied my ribbon around it, then tied it into a perfect bow. He smiled at me through the mirror.

"You look beautiful." He whispered. I did not reply, but instead turned around, took the tie from his hand, and put it lovingly around his neck. I slowly tied the tie, feeling the silk cloth in my hands as I pulled it through one last time, then straightened it. Perfect.

"You look so handsome." I murmured. I took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

"I would be… but since it's on such short notice and I'm not as prepared as you are, I haven't bought your parents a present yet. I don't exactly know what they like, so let's start a little early, get a present, and then drive down to your parents' home." Jun Jin smiled.

"All right, then. Let's go!" I walked out of my bedroom with Jun Jin's hands on my shoulders, and unhooked Jun Jin's coat from the stand by the door. I held it so that he could wear it. I also handed him his hat- he was one of the few people whose hair didn't get mussed after wearing and taking off a hat- and scarf. He then did the same for me, and we walked out the door into the cool autumn air.

I sat thinking again while Jun Jin drove, singing along to the music.

"Hey, why aren't you singing along today?" Jun Jin asked lightheartedly, though I knew him better than that. With our discussion that morning, I knew he was worried about me.

"Hrm? Oh. It's nothing, Jinnie." I said, calling him by the pet name his parents used. He grinned, then let the smile to fade away. Oh, Jun Jin, don't ever let your smile fade…

"Come on, Something's up. What happened?"

"Nothing. Just a dream."

"Then tell me." He looked at me as he drove. I grinned and used my hand to gently turn his head back toward the road. "Come on, I told you mine…" He whined, and pouted. How could I not resist those puppy eyes of his, the very same ones he had used to further win me over in the "Man Doo Show"?

"After we go and see my parents. I promise, Choong Jae." He knew that when I used his birth name, I was being serious.

"All right. Now… tell me about mum and da."

"Well, my mother and father are… very funny people. Funny as in comical. Funny as in they only bought me a car as a graduation gift because I got into 'our' college of first choice. Funny as in they said that I couldn't date until after I was married. Funny as in having the habit of passing out candy, snacks, drinks, the works to random friends or people they liked when I was in high school. Or my mom did, at least." I went on to explain that they were very old- fashioned people, and that even thought they didn't very much like personally my love of the martial arts, they supported me. Jun Jin laughed so hard at all of this that even when we arrived at the local florist's shop, we stayed in the car until he- actually, we, by that time- had stopped laughing.

Jun Jin, upon hearing that my mother had an innate gift for plants and that my father liked plants around his home, he ran into the florist shop- after he had stopped laughing, that is- and left me in the car.

"I know just what she'll like." He proudly smiled as he left me behind. He ran back out several minutes later, bearing a plant with few leaves but a long, vine- like, woody stem. It appeared to be some sort of orchid, but I couldn't tell; although I had done exceedingly well in botany the year before, I was miserably ruddy at growing plants and thus paid little attention to the ones my mother grew, except to admire them.

"Here, could you hold this while I drive?" He handed the plant to me. I held it gently in my lap.

"We'll be there within a half an hour, I think, maybe an hour at the most." Jun Jin smiled. We were soon driving again, along a stretch of freeway with few cars, but this was not to last. About fifteen minutes later, we saw the traffic piling up ahead of us.

"Oh, no!" I murmured. Jun Jin glanced sideways over to me and began to laugh.

"Hey, don't ruin that face with a frown, love."

"I'm sorry, Jin. It's just that… I mean, I've been waiting to show you to my parents forever, and I've just been kind of… afraid to. Not that I'm afraid that they won't like you, but more that they'll react to you badly because of me. And you wanted to meet my parents, too, and the day that I finally decide for it, this happens. There's never traffic on this freeway…" I ranted softly and looked down, but to my surprise, Jun Jin was laughing again.

"Silly duck." He said, touched my cheek. "You know, there are some times when the shortest route simply isn't." I looked up. "I'm going to go by local route. There's a really quick way to get to your parents house, and I bet you didn't even know it existed. Really beautiful, too. Too many people stop to look at the surroundings to drive, and so there's hardly any traffic." I stared quizzically up at him, and he sighed mockingly. "You know, for the brightest girl I've ever met, you really are a little slow." He teased.

"What? I wasn't bright to begin with! And what do you mean I'm a little slow? I thought you were on my side!" I protested.

"There, there. It's all right. Jinnie'll take care of you. It's okay." Jun Jin said in a baby voice.

"Park Choong Jae! I don't know why the devil I love you anyways!" I pretended to be angry.

"It's because I'm so smart." Jun Jin beamed. I poked him in the side, and he protested, "That's not fair! I'm driving! Besides, I don't think you've ever used Aleida Path to drive to your parents' house before, eh?"

"What? Aleida Path? I've never even been on it before. Isn't there some sort of superstition that if your first time there is with a lover, the couple will live a blessed life?" I teased back.

"Why do you think I've been waiting this long to go on it, eh?" Jun Jin smiled, his eyes glinting.

"God! Jun Jin, I don't know what to do with you." I pushed him gently.

"You could kiss me." He suggested hopefully. I threw up my hands.

Aleida Path truly was every bit as beautiful as everyone said it did. It was a long pathway that stretched for many towns, along its sides growing flowers and trees whose colours changed as the seasons did. During the spring, it was alive with fresh pinks and yellows, bright greens and light blues. During the summer, strong greens and some orange came into view, and darker blues also came to invade. In the winter, some bare branches overshadowed things, but with the purples and blues that reflected the frozen season, it looked breathtaking. The autumn, however, was the most beautiful. Full, rich, oranges and reds adorned the golden atmosphere of the path, and deep, natural violets were beginning to flush into view. This set the scene as we headed toward my parents' house. We did stop for a while, as other couples did, to admire the scenery, and to take pictures. The camera, provided by Jun Jin, made me smile.

"You planned this all along, didn't you?" I cocked my head.

"No, it was just this morning that I thought of it." We laughed. As we strayed a bit from our car, we spotted Dong Wan and Sun Kim doing the same.

"Hey, Dong Wan, Sun Kim!" Jun Jin and I waved. They waved back and walked to us.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Sun Kim asked, wrapped up in Dong Wan's thick jacket.

"We were on the way to my parents' house when we decided to stop awhile." I smiled. "You look cold."

"Yeah. Dong Wan gave me his jacket, though." She smiled up at him.

"Wow, Dong Wan, how come you never did that to me?" Jun Jin teased.

"Stop it, Jun Jin. You know we were never meant to be." Dong Wan replied seriously. Sun Kim and I laughed while Jun Jin began to slap Dong Wan's powerful arms as the latter ran around, trying to keep the former off. Sun Kim and I couldn't let that happen, so we joined the fray, and dragged ours off of each other's. We bade each other farewell, and with Sun Kim and Dong Wan wishing us good luck with my parents, we drove off.

I called my parents when we arrived within ten minutes of their house.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom!"

"Hello? Jeong Mi, is that you?"

"Meow." I laughed into the receiver of Jun Jin's cell phone.

"Hey, I thought you gave up that habit years ago." My mother laughed back. "So what is it?"

"Aww, mom, I'm hurt. You're not happy to hear me?"

"I am, but you never call like this unless you've done something. You called me just two days ago!"

"All right. Mom, I'm coming to your house."

"What? When?"

"I'll be there in like ten minutes, and I'm bringing a friend. Is that okay?"

"You're supposed to tell me these things earlier, so I can actually feed you and your friend."

"All right, mom. So we can come, right?"

"Yes, yes. Can you just pick up some kimchi on the way home? You know, from that one store."

"All right, mom, see you in a bit." I hung up.

"Meow?" Jun Jin asked bemusedly.

"Yep. Meow. Old family joke. Oh, yeah. We have to swing by a kimchi store on the way home. Mom wants some kimchi."

We stood at the door of my parents' home as Jun Jin double checked his suit for wrinkles and fumbled about, worrying.

"Jun Jin, stop it. I didn't know that you were such an old hen, clucking and worrying. I thought you were the 'manly' type, the one who didn't worry."

"But I'm scared!" Jun Jin whined. I kissed him on the cheek and held his arms.

"You'll be fine. My parents will love you. If you're so scared, excuse yourself during dinner to go to the bathroom. I'll ask my parents about you and you can stand in the hallway, listening. Happy?"

"All right." Jun Jin smiled nervously, clutching the plant for dear life. I rang the bell.

"Hello, Jeong Mi!" It's so good to see you, you really must come down more often, and… Who's this?"

"Hello, ma'am. My name is Park Choong Jae."

"Welcome, Choong Jae. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine."

"Well, don't just stand there, come in! It's freezing out!" We all walked down the short hallway to the living room.

"Where's dad?"

"Oh, up in the study. He'll be down in a second."

"No, we'll go up." I said, as my father came walking in a stately manner down the stairs.

"You're home." My father said. He never was a man to show much emotion, in contrast to my mother, who was always expressing one emotion or another, changing between them so quickly that my father called her an aluminum kettle- quick to heat up, quick to cool down.

"Who's this?" He asked curiously as he sat down on the sofa.

"Hello, sir. My name is Park Choong Jae. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Mom, dad, Choong Jae is my boyfriend."

"Oh! Well, welcome. I hope you enjoy your stay here in my humble home." My father said, clearing his throat. "Well, sit down." Jun Jin complied numbly, and I sat down beside him. My mother went into the kitchen to cook. I stood up to help her, but she waved me away, so I sat down once again. After a few agonizingly silent moments, my father spoke again.

"What's that?" Jun Jin froze, unsure of what my father was talking about.

"The plant. What is it?" My father asked, a little more kindly. Jun Jin had been clutching onto my hand desperately with one hand and the plant with the other.

"Oh, this is a plant I bought for you and your wife."

"Oh, thank you!" My mother came out of the kitchen upon eavesdropping on this, and was beaming. I could tell he had won her over long before she had ever even seen him. My father looked as he normally did- not frowning, not smiling, but with a strict face.

"It's a flower that's supposed to grow only under the love and care of an experienced hand, so I brought it for you and your wife."

"Thank you. Jeong Mi, set it down by the window, and let's see how it looks. I stood up, and Jun Jin still latched onto my hand fearfully. My father noticed this and finally smiled. I won't bite you, you know. Here, let's go take a walk to calm your nerves, how about that?" Jun Jin nodded in reply.

We took a long walk, during which Jun Jin remained mostly silent, answering only in a military "yes" or "no" when my father asked him a question. He still clutched my hand fiercely as we walked. Soon, my father gave up in trying to get him to talk and simply walked. He headed back into the house, and left the door open for us. I stopped Jun Jin.

"Jun Jin, calm down. My parents will like you less if you keep acting like an idiot. I told you before, I want a guy that's smarter than me. That's not only my criteria, but my parents', as well. You and I both know you're capable of beating this, so calm down. They will not eat you… alive, at least. So come on. Don't be nervous. Pretend like you're talking to me, okay?"

"All right." He took a deep breath. "I can do this." He exhaled, and we walked in through the French doors together, to the first dinner of many that he and my family would have together.

We sat down to dinner. Jun Jin had become accustomed to not praying at the table after a month of eating many meals with me, at which I refused to pray most of the time- not out of disrespect of his religion, but out of observance of my own. When we had dinner with his family, I would pray, and the few times he took me to church, I followed his lead, as he did mine when I took him to my temple, but had told him soon after we met that I would not convert to his religion, nor pressure him to convert to mine.

"I can't agree more." Jun Jin nodded after I told him this. "I don't want you to feel pressured about religion; there are far too many things to stress about in life to fiddle over a minor something like religion."

We talked up a storm over dinner, as we usually did when I ate with my parents. To my relief, and to Jun Jin's, he found that he was able to speak his mind with my family, instead of sitting shyly merely listening. He seemed much better than me during my first meal with his parents, however. Still, he must have been insecure, because towards the end of dinner, he squeezed my hand, and excused himself for the bathroom. I got up to show him the way, and in the hall, he whispered, "You know, I like your parents, but my feelings for them cannot predicate their feelings for me."

"All right. Don't worry, I'm sure you're doing fine." He kissed me on the cheek, and I walked calmly back into the dining room. My parents were silent, and looked up at me as I walked in.

"So, mom, dad, what do you think?" I asked as I sat down.

"Of?" My mother questioned interestedly, lowering her chopsticks. Why was it so easy to distract my mother? I would never know.

"She wants to know about what we think of Choong Jae." My father nodded sagely. I stared intently at them, possibly more nervous than Jun Jin was.

"Oh, I like him. Seems like a nice boy. He seems intelligent, and responsible, with a good personality. Good looking, and nice body, too." She laughed.

"He's all right, but you can't marry him." My father said blatantly, chewing. I felt my heart lurch at this.

"What? I'm not thinking as far ahead to marriage, dad, but why?"

"I don't like him. Be careful. You've had people take advantage of you, we all have. I wouldn't trust him too much, if I were you. You can never know."

"But, dad, don't you think that you're being a little unfair? Just because there are some people that like to take advantage of others, you automatically distrust them?" I felt anger flare in my heart. Jun Jin's fear was coming true…

"I don't care. Remember that woman that your mother 'befriended'? She wound up trying to run off with your mother's checking account and PIN number!" My mother stared intently at her food. "Anyways, he seems like a player. And walking in here, stuttering like an idiot!"

"Dad! Jun Jin was just nervous! He was afraid you would think this way!"

"What would he have to worry about if he had nothing wrong with him? And who's Jun Jin?"

"That's what he calls himself, dad. Jun Jin, you know- straight, forward, on a path undistracted. That's what you always told me, isn't it?"

"Well, I don't like him. What's wrong with his name to begin with? I don't want you to marry him. And don't you take her side. You know what I'm talking about." He said to my mother. "Even if he isn't a player, he's not good-" My father trailed off as Jun Jin entered the room, his face perfectly composed. I could feel his heart reach out for mine, and I reached back. He was wounded by what he had heard. The rest of dinner was spent in silence. After we had eaten dinner, my mother offered us a cup of tea, but Jun Jin refused.

"Thank you very much, ma'am , and I'm very sorry to refuse. However, both of us have an important test on Monday, and we really must be going." Jun Jin bowed to my parents. "Thank you both so much for your hospitality, Doctor and Mrs. Lee. It was very nice meeting you, and I hope you rest well. Good night."

"I'll call you later, mom." We bowed and left.

We headed towards Jun Jin's car through the night air, with the crickets chirping slowly all around us. The air had become so much colder, as had Jun Jin's brisk attitude. We hurried into the car. I couldn't read his expression for the first time since I had met him.

"Jun Jin, please don't be angry. My father really does have good reason to act like that, not that he has any reason to do that to you, but still… He's been through a lot. I'm sorry that he thinks that way about you, and I know that I can trust you, that's really all I care about…" My voice trailed off into the silence, silence that pounded in my ears. Jun Jin sat in the driver's seat, staring straight ahead, unmoving. He turned to me at last, after five minutes of torturing me. I felt a dull, aching pain in my heart, and an unfamiliar feeling- was it fear?

"Do you feel the same way?" he asked, pain reflecting in his deep eyes.

"No, Jun Jin, I don't. You know that I love you, and… basically, I am not my parents."

Without another word, he pushed the key into the ignition, and began to drive away from my parents' house. I dared not ask him where we were going; although I feared the silence, I feared hurting him again more. The radio was off; I prayed in my head for something, anything to break the silence. I wished to fill this gap with my own endless scream. Nobody would ever understand the pain I had gone through for so long alone… And I did not wish to lose Jun Jin and have to go through another hurt as deep.

We drove for nearly two hours in silence, back towards home. I tried to pretend as though nothing had happened- I tried to talk to him as I normally would, about school, about his parents, about us- but he did not look at me… nor did he even appear to have heard me. Oh, Jun Jin… please don't ever let that smile of yours fade…

We approached my house, but instead of slowing down, Jun Jin continued. I turned to him again.

"Jun Jin, where are we going?"

"You'll see." He said, his voice hoarse. He cleared his throat. He was trying to show me his strong side, trying to block the pain from his heart by protecting me. And I wanted to take that pain and make it my own, to stop it from hurting him forever. My parents were my parents, but Jun Jin was my love. I would never find anyone that I would love as much as I loved him. Not my friends, not my parents, not even Min Woo. I would never be happy with anyone else.

We drove to a large grassy field. Jun Jin got out of the car, and the wind immediately took him up. His long hair blew against his face in the wind, and his coat moved. He silently began to walk away from the car. I got out after him and felt the strong wind in at my coat, throwing my hair into my face. I brushed it away, hard, and ran after him.

"Jun Jin!" I called as I caught up to him. He stopped and held my hand. I was surprised by this display of affection, and I could feel my blood rush to my cheeks from the sheer exhilaration of his touch. He smiled so brilliantly, that smile, so lovely, that it was almost painful to watch.

"Jun Jin, please don't be angry." I said again. "I don't think the same way my parents do- or at least, the way my dad does. My mom, by the way, really liked you. I think she was as hurt as I was to hear him speak that way about you. And remember how you said that you though that anything was possible with me? How you said that you were ready to marry me any moment? I'm not asking for that, now, Jun Jin, but I'm asking for you to believe that I feel the same way. And I won't let anything stop me."

He pulled me close and wrapped himself about me, his body cold, yet inviting. "It's too soon for marriage."

"Is it because-" He seemed to know what I was going to say, and shushed me, quietly and calmly placing his finger upon my lips.

"No, it isn't. Don't worry. But you don't feel that it's too early to marry me? If so, I'll go bring a wedding ring right now. But other than that, I don't really want to get married now. I'd like to have some security in myself before we do."

"I was just worried… that you didn't want to marry me because-"

"Because of you parents. I know." He finished. "But I still love you, Jeong Mi. I was thinking during the drive, you know? At first I was so angry at your father… And I still kind of am. I mean, it wasn't exactly what I needed to hear right then."

"I understand." I nodded.

"But then, I realized that you were right, and that you aren't your parents, and that if you felt that way of loved someone else, you wouldn't be here now. So I decided to bring you here." He pressed closer to me, his eyes shining in the dark.

"But where is here? It looks beautiful, but not more than any other autumn grass fields I've seen."

"Come this way with me." He held my hand and guided me further away from the car. After some walking, I found that we had actually been traveling up a slight incline, and that this was the top of a hill. At the bottom of the hill ran a river, swift but silent, and above us, the stars shone more brightly than I had ever seen them.

"What do you think?" He asked, smiling. After a few moments of shocked stillness, I stared back at Jun Jin.

"This is too much beauty to handle in one day. First, Aleida Path, and now this? God, Jun Jin…" I breathed.

"Well, I deal with it every day. Every moment. Because even when I'm not with you, I think about you."

We laid down upon the red, gold, and green grass, and under a blanket that Jun Jin had brought on top of the mass of stars over us, we fell asleep.


End file.
